Vengeance

A pedicab driver was arrested shortly after shooting dead a Chinese trader and wounding the latter’s brother in front of their bakery in Sta. Cruz, Manila Wednesday night.

The arrested suspect, who is only 17 years old and a native of Victoria, Northern Samar, was remorseful when interrogated, saying it was his best friend Juanito Medice, who planned the attack.

He told investigators that Medice arrived at their hometown in Samar and asked for his help to get back at his cruel former employer, who dismissed him from the bakery.

Police identified the fatality as Harvy Uy Tan, 23, owner of the Golden Venus Bakery located on Blumentritt street in Sta. Cruz. He died while being taken to Chinese General Hospital

Tan suffered a gunshot wound in the body. Investigators said his brother Dennis, 19, suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the body and was taken to the same hospital.

The suspect’s companions, Medice and one Edilbert Equirre, managed to escape after the incident, which took place at around 10 p.m.

SPO3 Virgo Villareal said the victims had just boarded their car when the suspect fired at them using a caliber .357 handgun.

Barangay officials, who heard the shooting, responded and gave chase, resulting in the arrest of one of the suspects.

According to the arrested minor, the victims were cruel to his friend, scolding him for eating bread in the bakery and not paying his salary for a month.

The teenager said he and Equirre felt sorry for their friend so they went with Medice to Manila to carry out their plan for revenge. The three suspects arrived in Manila Wednesday afternoon and started casing the victim’s house several hours before the attack.

In Mandaluyong, a pedicab driver was arrested yesterday for the brutal slay of a seven-year-old girl, whose body was found floating in a creek Wednesday.

The arrest of Leonardo Balala, 53, brought to five the number of suspects in custody for killing Nina Gwenzei Elleneth Severino, of Private Road, Barangay Hulo.

Senior Superintendent Sukarno Ikbala, Mandaluyong City police chief, said he believes the case has been solved following the arrest of the five suspects.

The four other suspects who were arrested Wednesday were identified as Meriano Pedroza, 26; Danny Gonzales, 26; Daniel Ramos, 43; and Tomas Araga, 25, all pedicab drivers and neighbors of the victim.

When Ramos was arrested, he had all his belongings with him packed in a box. Two others had scratches on their body which they could not explain, Ikbala said.

The five were brought to the crime laboratory of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for DNA and drug testing.

"We still have to wait for the results to strengthen our case against the suspects," Ikbala said.

Severino was reported missing by her parents last Monday night. Her body was found floating in a creek with a stab wound in the head. – With Non Alquitran