TV cameraman shot dead in heist

A cameraman of a television network was shot dead by two gunmen on board a motorcycle at noon yesterday as he walked to his house in Caloocan City.

Northern Police District (NPD) director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil identified the victim as Ralph Nuñez, 35, a cameraman of RPN 9.

Nuñez, a resident of Barangay 186, Tala, Caloocan North, was hit three times in the body. He died while being rushed for treatment at the Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center (formerly Tala Hospital).

PO2 Angeles Lleno Jr., officer-on-case, said Nuñez was waylaid by two still unidentified gunmen at the corner of St. Joseph Avenue and St. Benedict street.

Initial investigation showed the victim had just withdrawn cash from a bank in Lagro, Quezon City when he was attacked.

Unconfirmed police sources said the cash amounted to some P35,000.

Nuñez was about to enter the gate of his house when the suspects appeared and demanded for his blue backpack which contained the cash.

The cameraman, however, resisted, prompting one of the suspects to fire his caliber .45 pistol several times, hitting Nuñez in the abdomen.

The suspects quickly fled with the loot, speeding away from the crime scene on a blue Honda Wave in the direction of Barracks II in Tala.

Concerned citizens brought Nuñez to the nearby Dr. Jose Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center (formerly Tala Hospital), where he was declared dead on arrival by Dr. Federico Dasalla.

Police recovered four empty shells and a deformed slug from a caliber .45 pistol at the crime scene.

Bataoil created Task Force Usig, headed by Senior Superintendent Constante "Junboy" Azares, to conduct an immediate hunt of the suspects.

He also tapped the help of the NPD support groups, including the Northern-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (Northern-CIDG) and the NPD-District Intelligence and Investigation Division (DIID) under Superintendent Jimili Macaraeg in coordination with Caloocan police chief Senior Superintendent Geronimo Reside.