ANGELES CITY, Philippines – Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan appealed yesterday to the Philippine embassy in the US to coordinate with the Memphis, Tennessee police to facilitate the probe on the fatal shooting of a Kapampangan nurse by a still unidentified attacker.
Pamintuan said victim Erano Santos, 33, was shot dead last July 22 apparently by a car thief who fled in Santos’ car, a silver 2013 Honda Civic sedan.
Santos was left lying in a pool of blood in the parking area of his residence at Stonebridge Crossing Apartments in Cordova.
Ian Flora Ocampo, a friend of the victim, said Santos was an orphan whose only sibling is a minor who lives with an aunt in Barangay Lourdes Sur here.
Santos was a former clinical instructor at the Holy Angel University’s College of Nursing here.
He migrated to the US in May last year.
ABC News quoted the Memphis police as saying that the stolen vehicle has not been recovered.
Police also said witnesses told investigators that Santos was seen fighting with an unknown suspect before he was shot and his vehicle taken.
Pamintuan also asked the Philippine Embassy in the US to extend all help to the relatives and friends of Santos who reportedly have not raised enough money for the victim’s funeral expenses.
The relatives and friends also do not have enough resources to bring Santos’ body back to this city for burial, the mayor said.
The victim’s former student, Ralph Karlwin Gaspar, said he and his classmates were shocked by the news of Santos’ death.
He said friends and students of Santos have been flooding social networks with calls for justice.
Santos was a graduate of Angeles University Foundation’s College of Nursing.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in Washington said yesterday police were still investigating the shooting incident in Memphis.
“The Philippine Embassy is coordinating with the Memphis police in connection with the July 22 shooting of a Filipino nurse from Pampanga,†the embassy said in its Twitter account.
The embassy is extending assistance to the victim’s relatives. – With Pia Lee-Brago