Robbers kill French tourist in front of hotel; Espina axes precinct chief

MANILA, Philippines - A Frenchman was shot dead by robbers as he was waiting for a taxi in front of a hotel in Pasay City yesterday morning.

The attack on Hofman Pierre Paul Franz, 68, prompted National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Leonardo Espina to relieve Inspector Jolly Soriano, commander of the Police Community Precinct 6.

“He should be relieved immediately for not patrolling aggressively enough,” Espina said in an interview.

He directed city Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Llorca “not to go to sleep” until they catch the three men who robbed Franz.

Frenchmen Julien Cuy Henry Leclerc and Dubois Leclerc and Filipina companion Joselyne Maria Theresa were with Franz and waiting for a taxi in front of a hotel along EDSA at past 8 a.m. when three men on a motorcycle stopped in front of them and grabbed Franz’s belt bag, which contained 750 euros (approximately P39,600), according to Chief Inspector Bong Sta. Teresa, the city police’s deputy chief for investigation.

Franz fought back and the robbers shot him in the chest, abdomen and left forearm, Sta. Teresa said.

Witnesses said the hotel, which sits at the corner of EDSA and Roxas Boulevard, has tourist police officers and the area teemed with traffic enforcers but it took at least an hour before Franz was taken to the San Juan de Dios Hospital across EDSA. He was declared dead on arrival.

Franz, who arrived in the country Thursday, and his companions were supposed to take a taxi to the Victory Liner bus terminal, where they would board a bus for Baguio. He was billeted at the Ralph Mansion in Parañaque City.

Investigators said the robbers, after grabbing Franz’s belt bag, stopped at a Toyota Corolla parked nearby and two of them boarded the sedan. All three escaped.

Three spent shells from a .45-caliber pistol were found at the scene of the robbery.