Rob suspect shot dead

CEBU, Philippines - Police shot and killed a man, held responsible for killing a female loan officer, yesterday afternoon in Barangay Jagobiao, Mandaue City.

The fatality was identified as Renante Baldecantos, 26, a native of Barangay Bagacay, Ozamiz City.

SPO3 Marcos Noval Jr. of the Mandaue City Investigation and Detective Management Branch said they received a report of two armed men riding in tandem on a black Honda Wave motorcycle with license plate numbers 3027 KG sighted in Acacia Hills, Barangay Jagobiao, around 5 p.m. yesterday.

Police immediately responded and saw the two men who were quick to speed away, leading to a chase.

Noval said the suspect's panicked and their motorcycle ran off the road. Baldecantos allegedly pulled out a gun, prompting Noval's companion to shoot him.

Baldecantos died of gunshot wounds to the head and back while the motorcycle's driver sped off and was nowhere to be found.

Police recovered a .45 cal. pistol and a hand grenade from Baldecantos.

Witnesses pointed at Baldecantos as the one who robbed and shot dead 24-year-old Ly Ryzza Amar, a loan officer of ZFA Credit Corp. in Barangay Guizo, Mandaue City, three weeks ago.

Amar, a native of Bago City in Negros Occidental, was walking along A.S. Fortuna last April 16 shortly after withdrawing P100,000 from the bank at a nearby mall when two men approached and one of them announced a hold-up at a gunpoint.

The robbers tried to grab her bag which she would not relinquish, prompting one of them to shoot her. She died of a gunshot wound to the left side of her chest.

Police said Baldecantos was also a notorious robber in Ozamiz City and has reportedly shot and killed a barangay captain there.  He also has a standing warrant of arrest for carnapping, they added.  (FREEMAN)