Manhunt underway for fourth suspect

A NATIONWIDE MANHUNT is underway for the fourth suspect in last Friday dawn’s shooting in Talisay City where a German tourist was killed and two other foreigners were wounded.

Chief Supt. Prudencio Bañas, Police Regional Office chief, said they believe that Dexci “Tata” Gomonte, who is  charged with murder and two counts of frustrated murder, may have left Talisay City.

He said the order for a nationwidel search for the suspect came from PNP Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina since foreigners were involved and the case would have international repercussions.

“I am satisfied with the Talisay City police’s work and the community at large who volunteered information leading to the arrest of the suspects,” he said.

Bañas  echoed the sentiment of Sheila Jane Gitumao, girlfriend of slain German engineer Heinrich Haffner, that the incident should remind  Filipinos not to make racist remarks to foreigners.

“We should all be sensitive to all issues, di dapat maliitin ang racial discrimination, medyo lasing din sila nun (racial discrimination should not be underestimated. It seemed that the two men were drunk and) that might have sparked the argument,” he said.

The shooting followed a verbal confrontation in the McDonald’s outlet where  an Indian was  taunted by two local male customers who addressed him a “Turko” and said he wouldn’t lend them money.

Gitumao said Haffner’s untimely death should be an eye-opener about insulting people for their race, education or beliefs.

“I hope every Filipino learns the value of respect and sensitivity. Your jokes may be funny to some people but there are those who may not like it,” said Gitumao.

Gitumao, an engineer who hails from Zamboanga, said everything would have been “all right if only everyone, regardless of nationality, education, and background, knew how to be sensitive enough in dealing with people.

Frenchman Julien Maillard and his Indian companion Cheten Saparaiya confronted the local men harassing them.  A security guard cooled off the spat and the suspects left the restaurant only to return with armed companions.

Police filed charges of murder, two counts of frustrated murder, and illegal possession of firearms against Ricci Edwin Ramirez Jr., Allan Veloz, and Roger Cal at  the Talisay City Prosecutors’ Office.