The suspected gunman is Ronnel Wagas, 21, driver of the motorcycle that Monching allegedly took.
Wagas also allegedly shot Monching’s companion, Renante Riza, 23, in the back when he tried to flee after seeing his friend was shot.
The police found out that Wagas and his friend, Leonidas Barbero, 30, both from Barangay Tagubi, Compostela, were drinking in a bar when Monching and Riza declared a hold-up.
The robbers, after allegedly hitting Wagas on the head and Barbero on the stomach, got P383 and a mobile phone from the bar’s cashier, a wallet from Barbero and the key to Wagas’ motorcycle.
But when they attempted to escape using Wagas’ motorcycle, the robbery victims both jumped on the robbers to stop them.
Wagas allegedly grabbed Monching’s .45 revolver and shot the latter in the head and Riza in the back.
Wagas and Barbero rushed home but later showed up at the Compostela Police Office saying they want to sue Riza, who was rushed to the Vicente Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.
While the police recovered five empty shells and Riza’s .357 gun with six live ammunitions, they have not yet found Monching’s gun that Wagas allegedly used.
Wagas revealed that he only borrowed the motorcycle from his brother and he promised to return it safely.
Is Wagas the victim here or a homicide suspect? That, said Chief Insp. Ramon Lacno of the Compostela Police Station, is something the court will have to determine.
Riza told the police that he and Monching only wanted to provide food for their families.
Couple
Meanwhile, a Cebu City-bound couple was robbed of valuables while waiting for a bus in Barangay Perrelos, Carcar early Thursday morning.
Geoffrey Empasis and his wife, Analiza, were held up by two motorcycle-riding armed men.
Without any masks or helmets, the robbers allegedly forced Analiza to hand over her Samsung D500 mobile phone worth P9,000 and her purse that contained two credit cards, two ATM cards and P40, among others.
The police first learned of the incident after they received a text message from Carcar Mayor Mario Patricio Barcenas.
The couple reported the incident to the police Thursday noon, said they didn’t recognize the robbers but knew one was carrying a .38 caliber gun. (NRC)
