The year that was 2015: High-profile killings that grabbed the banners

CEBU, Philippines - In 2015, Cebu was placed in the national and even international limelight over some high-profile shooting and killing incidents, especially the one that involved Chinese executives.

It was on October 21 when Cebu City policemen responded to a shooting incident inside a restaurant at General Maxilom Avenue, Cebu City that left two Chinese diplomats, Sun Shan and Hui Li, dead, and Chinese Consul General to Cebu, Song Ronghua, wounded.

Police identified the persons responsible for the crime as couple Li Qing Liang and Gou Jing, herself a Chinese diplomat. The shooting happened in the middle of a birthday celebration held at the restaurant, in which the two were among the guests.

Things took an interesting turn after Jing claimed diplomatic immunity, which meant that the Philippine government could not do anything but just free her and her husband and turn them over to the Chinese government for their prosecution in China as what was stated in the bilateral agreement between the two countries.

This made Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama react as he wanted the two to face the consequences of what they did before the court in Cebu City. However, Police Regional Office-7 had to free the Chinese couple. In October 23, they were flown to China even with the motive of the crime still not established yet as they reportedly would refuse to talk to policemen.

Lawyer killed in ambush

In August 13, 35-year-old lawyer Amelie “Am-am” Ocañada-Alegre, was killed on the spot in an ambush along Catalino Street, Barangay Looc, Mandaue City, while his co-worker, Briccio Boholst, 55, suffered a gunshot wound in the right thigh while their staff Anthony Pino was also shot to the abdomen. Boholst and Pino survived the incident.

The three just reportedly came from a meeting and Amelie was driving Boholst home to his house in Looc. Police said while Amelie was driving along Catalino Street, they were followed and strafed by two men on a black motorcycle.

Amelie is a partner in the Boholst, Herrera, Ocañada and Remedio Law firm that handles cases on real property.

Marietta Ouano Ocañada, the mother of Amelie, suspected that her daughter’s marital problems with her husband could be the motive in the killing.

She said Amelie and her husband, Ryan Alegre, have a pending annulment case. Amelie separated from her husband after four years of marriage due to his alleged paramours.

Two weeks later, the National Bureau of Investigation-7, which also made its own investigation into the case, tagged the husband as the suspect based on the evidence they gathered.

NBI-7 assistant director Eric Isidoro said the partition of properties between the victim and her husband is the strongest motive they are pursuing, saying that Amelie was winning the case and there was a chance that Ryan’s properties might go to Amelie.

Isidoro, however, said they have yet to conduct further investigation to trace the assailants and eventually identify the real mastermind.

Customs collector ambushed

Last November 4, Mactan Cebu International Airport customs sub-collector Gerardo Campo and his office staff Pablito Geraldez escaped death after they were ambushed at Rabaya Street, Tabunok, Talisay City.

Campo’s stay-in fami-ly driver, Proto Bulias, 38, however, was wounded in the back after they were shot by two men on a motorcycle.

Police believed that Campo, who usually drives his vehicle, was the target of the attack based on the trajectory of the bullets which were all towards the driver’s seat. The assailants apparently did not know that it was Bulias, not the customs official, who was then driving the vehicle.

Investigators are still investigating the case since Campo said he does not have any idea who could want him dead.

Teen girl killed

On March 21, a 15-year-old Kim Patenio, was killed while her mother Prescilla Patenio, 54, was wounded after they were shot by an unidentified man while onboard a public utility jeepney along A.S. Fortuna Street, Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City.

A few days later, Kim’s half-brother, Rainer Patenio, showed up to the police and said inheritance might be the motive of the killing.

Rainer disclosed that Kim was the sole heir of her Japanese father’s toy company in Japan. The father died late last year and reportedly indicated the same in his will.

Based on video captured by security came-ras, the gunman was on board a bicycle while following the jeepney. He reportedly kept looking back several times at a red Nissan patrol car.

At a stoplight, the gunman approached the vehicle and a man disembarked, talked to him, and gave him signals a few minutes before the shooting.

The mobile phones of the victims, in which the police allegedly found threatening text messages to Kim, are now in police custody. They were also able to trace the registered owner of the Nissan Patrol car but have yet to conduct further investigation.

Trader killed in colon

On July 14, a businessman died after he was ambushed at corner Osmeña Boulevard and Colon Street, Barangay Kalubihan, Cebu City, just minutes after driving his daughters to school.

Jaime Blas Villaceran, 36, a businessman engaged in selling lechon and chicharon, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds in the different parts of his body. He was shot by two unidentified men on a motorcycle.

Superintendent Romeo Santander, chief of the Cebu City Intelligence Branch, said they were suspecting illegal drugs as the motive behind the crime since Villaceran has long been recorded in their unit as a big-time drug personality.

A month after, before the police could arrest the suspect behind Villaceran’s death, 38-year-old Arnel Gomez, alias “Budlat,” was also shot dead by two unidentified persons.

Santander said Gomez is in the list of top five persons of interest in the anti-criminality campaign of Cebu City Police Office for the number of crimes the latter has been reportedly involved, apart from being tagged as the leader of a gun-for-hire group.

Santander said Gomez was also the hitman of another big-time illegal drug personality. He said the most recent incident wherein he was pointed as the gunman was the ambush involving Villaceran. (FREEMAN)