Tuesday, August 21, 2007 One of 2 guards in La Nueva heist dies
PROCORO Esguerra, one of the two security guards shot during the P2.7-million heist of a bank pick-up teller last week, died last Sunday night.
Esguerra, 32, succumbed to his injuries six days after five suspected members of the Bohol Robbery Group led by Casimero “Meloy” Garcia grabbed the cash from Metrobank pick-up teller Grace Maglangit.
The teller had just collected the money from La Nueva Supermart and was about to get inside a waiting armored van at the corner of Magallanes and Burgos Sts. in Barangay San Roque, Cebu City.
Esguerra of Mandarin Security Agency, who was escorting Maglangit, was shot in the neck and thigh, while another security guard Medard Rama, who was standing near the armored van, took bullets in the right leg, stomach and right armpit.
Witnesses identified dismissed security guard Danilo Flores, who was formerly assigned at La Nueva, as the one who shot Esguerra, while Garcia was pointed as the one who shot Rama.
Esguerra and Rama were both taken to Cebu City Medical Center.
Esguerra died at 9:45 p.m. Sunday due to cardio-pulmonary arrest and complications in his vital organs. He left behind his common-law-wife Dina Nudalo, who is four months pregnant.
Rama, meanwhile, is recuperating at the male surgical ward of the hospital.
With the death of Esguerra, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Deputy Director for Operations Pablo Labra II told reporters yesterday they will file an amendment to the complaints earlier filed against the suspects at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.
Garcia, Flores, Cresencio “Bruts” Reguya and two John Does were named respondents in the robbery with double frustrated homicide filed by CCPO last Friday.
Labra said they will file today an amendment to the complaints—one is robbery with homicide for the death of Esguerra and the other is robbery with frustrated homicide for injuring Rama.
Esguerra’s common-law-wife described her partner as very dedicated to his job and a good provider.
Interviewed by reporters at the wake at St. Peter Memorial Chapels, Nudalo said Esguerra had several plans for his family.
He was looking forward to see his first child, Nudalo said.
The couple had lived together for the past three years. Esguerra planned marry Nudalo before the end of the year.
He also dreamt of becoming a policeman after falling victim to robbers who took his money for tuition, Nudalo said.
Esguerra finished a degree in criminology at the University of the Visayas.
He took a licensure exam in 2005 but failed.
While preparing to retake the exam this October, Esguerra applied as a security guard at Mandarin Security Agency to support his family.
He got hired about six months ago, Nudalo said.
On the day of the robbery last Aug. 13, Nudalo said Esguerra initially considered not reporting for work because he did not have money.
“Manghuwam lang unta mi og kwarta sa iyang igsuon pero naikog sad mi kay sayo pa (He had wanted to borrow money from his sibling but he reconsidered),” Nudalo said.
With only his jeepney fare in hand, Esguerra decided to report to work and told Nudalo he will just borrow P150 from a friend and have his ATM card as collateral.
Nudalo hopes the security agency will support her financially, especially now that she is pregnant.
Nudalo and Daisy Alarde, Esguerra’s older sister, however, said they are satisfied with the financial assistance for the medical needs extended to them by the security agency.
Although in the first two days, Alarde said, the release of funds was slow because it still had to get approval from the agency’s central office in Manila.
Alarde said she earlier requested to transfer her brother to a private hospital, but was told that Esguerra’s condition was critical and moving him to another hospital was not advisable.
“We were told that his spinal cord was punctured. The doctor explained that he only had a small chance of surviving,” Alarde said.
Esguerra’s body will be taken to his hometown in Barangay Bugho, San Fernando town in southern Cebu. He is set to be buried on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Supt. Labra told reporters yesterday that the CCPO is planning to come up with a list of most wanted robbery suspects in Cebu City, which will be disseminated in the city through posters.
He said he will ask City Councilor Augustus Pe Jr. to possibly set aside funds for the project.
The CCPO is also preparing the needed documents to be submitted to the regional office for the inclusion of all the members of the Bohol Robbery Group in the most wanted persons’ list in Central Visayas. (JST)
