Guard surrenders after killing ‘thief’

CEBU, Philippines -  A security guard surrendered to the police after he "accidentally" shot dead Sunday evening a suspected robber and apparently hid the body in a septic tank of the establishment where he was detailed.

Marvin Villagracia, 20, with live-in partner and temporarily residing in Barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City was brought to Subangdaku Police Station by his supervisor Ronaldo Zabate after he personally surrendered to and informed him that he killed a man inside the company's premises. He is working under the BISDA Security Agency.

The shooting, according to Villagracia, took place on Tuesday afternoon near the company where Villagarcia works as guard located at M1 Business Center on Ouano Avenue at the North Reclamation Area in Mandaue City.

After his surrender to his superior, he was brought to the police station where he admitted to have shot to death an unidentified person whom he allegedly caught in the act of stealing cable wires and steel ladder owned by the establishment.

According to Police Officer 3 Allen Carado of Subangdaku Police, Villagracia narrated that around 7:40 p.m. on Sunday, he called the attention of the suspected robber upon learning about the stealing. However, the supposed robber instead took a .357 cal. pistol and aimed it at him.

Villagracia said since he did not have any issued firearm, he then grabbed the firearm of the man who still continued to struggle with him and this prompted him to shot him twice. Then when he saw that the man was already dead, he immediately threw him into the company's septic tank.

"Wa dayon na siya makatug-an sa hitabo, apan natingala na ang mga empleyado sa establisimento nga naa ma'y manimaho kada flush nila sa ilang toilet, ug nakonsensya siguro to maong mitug-an na ug diretso misurender sa iyang kaugalingon ug gidala nganhi sa police station," Carado said.

The Scene of the Crime Operatives led by Police Inspector Atilano Fabella went to the crime scene and took the cadaver of the unidentified man who was already in a state of decomposition.

The man was wearing red T-shirt, maong short pants and was estimated to be 5-foot-1 in height.

His cadaver was then fetched by the personnel of the Cebu Rolling Hills while the security guard is now detained at the Subangdaku Police Station pending the filing of a homicide case against him.  (FREEMAN)