After visit to Cebu city jail? Resort owner's son shot dead

CEBU, Philippines - The son of a resort owner in Talisay City was shot dead early yesterday afternoon shortly after going to the Cebu City Jail in Barangay Kalunasan.

The fatality was identified as Antonio Santos, 39, whose family owns Villa Teresita Resort in Barangay Biasong, Talisay City.

He was on board a blue Honda CR-V when shot by his passenger, who was reportedly on the backseat of the vehicle.

The crime took place near the boundary of Sitio Langub, Barangay Guadalupe and Sitio Oppra Unit 5, Barangay Kalunasan.

The victim was identified through a copy of his National Bureau of Investigation clearance, which was found inside the vehicle. 

Santos reportedly came from the Cebu City Jail and was shot at a secluded area.

Sr. Insp. Jul Mohammad Jamiri, Cebu City Homicide chief, said the victim was driving a vehicle with plate number YBH 835.

He was first shot pointblank on the nape and then the gunman fire twice more hitting the victim’s left temple and lower left side of the jaw.

“The gunman waited for their vehicle to reach where his escape motorcycle was parked. The killing was well planned,” the police officer said.  

Jamiri said the victim fell from the vehicle, which later struck an electric post.

A deformed slug and two empty shells from a caliber .45 pistol were recovered at the crime scene.

Two bundles of P1,000 bills amounting to P73,000 were also recovered from the victim.

ESCAPE

The gunman reportedly fled on board a black Honda XRM motorcycle towards Barangay Kalunasan. There were two other men on the motorcycle.

The get-away motorcycle was abandoned at Justice Street, several hundreds meters from the crime scene.

A guard, who was assigned near the area, reportedly saw three men disembarking from the black motorcycle bearing temporary plate 7LLC-D-6826.

The three men then boarded a green pick-up, which was reportedly following the motorcycle, the guard said. 

Antonio’s fall

Jamiri said Santos was involved in illegal games in Cebu, which led to his arrest in the late 1990s.

He said they also received reports that the victim reportedly lost his fortune in Negros allegedly due to his illegal games operation.

“He (Santos) can no longer afford to pay the winnings of his patrons in Negros. It is possible that he was killed because of this,” Jamiri said.

Car registration

Land Transportation Office-7 director Raul Aguilos told The FREEMAN that the plate number used in the victim’s car was that of Hyundai Elantra model 2004 under the name of Eternal Cebu Excellence Motors.   

The car, which was registered in their Talisay City office, had an expired registration. 

No jail visit

Cebu City warden Johnson Calub said that Santos did not visit the jail yesterday, because visits are only scheduled on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. 

Calub, however, said that their records revealed that Santos was indeed in the jail last Sunday to visit Ariel “Bobong” Degamo.

He said Degamo was transferred to the Cebu City Jail from Gingoog City in 2010 and is facing charges of frustrated murder. 

Both Aguilos and Calub said they will conduct further investigation on the incident in order to help the police. 

The police, however, are exploring other motives behind Antonio’s death.

— /NLQ (FREEMAN)