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Nation

John Pope brought 2 guns to Cebu City court

Camille Diola - The Philippine Star
January 22, 2013 | 3:02pm
MANILA, Philippines - The Canadian national who killed a doctor and a lawyer and injured a fiscal was carrying two firearms as he went around looking for targets in Cebu City's Palace of Justice on Tuesday morning.
 
Shooting suspect John Pope, 63, used a .357 revolver during the shooting spree inside the Marcelo Fernan Memorial Hall of Justice (Palace of Justice) at past 8 a.m.
 
Pope, who was attending a hearing at the Municipal Trial Court of Cities (MTCC) Branch 6, shot dead Dr. Rene Rafols and lawyer Giovannie Achas.
 
The Canadian national was the respondent in the malicious mischief case filed by Rafols before the said court.
 
The shooter was also reportedly facing other cases at the hall of justice.
 
The Freeman reported on Twitter that after shooting Rafols and Achas, the Canadian national went through the cubicles of three prosecutors handling the cases filed against him.
 
Pope also shot Assistant Prosecutor Maria Teresa Casiño, who was staying in another sala on the fourth floor of the hall of justice. She is currently in critical condition due to gunshot wounds in the head.
 
After the shooting rampage, police seized the Canadian national's bag and recovered another firearm, a .45 pistol.
 
Pope managed to enter and roam around the hall of justice with firearms even as security personnel said they carried out strict security procedures in the area.
 
Following the incident, high court officials from the MTCC asked the Supreme Court for funds to install metal detectors at entrances of the building.
 
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has ordered Court Administrator Midas Marquez to proceed to Cebu City and personally find out how Pope was able to enter the hall of justice while carrying firearms.
 
The shooting came as the police units nationwide are supposedly strictly implementing the Commission on Elections gun ban.
 
The Philippine National Police recently intensified its campaign against loose firearms in connection with the election gun ban.

ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR MARIA TERESA CASI

CEBU CITY

CHIEF JUSTICE MARIA LOURDES SERENO

COURT ADMINISTRATOR MIDAS MARQUEZ

DR. RENE RAFOLS

GIOVANNIE ACHAS

JOHN POPE

JUSTICE

PALACE OF JUSTICE
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