Death comes in a coffee shop for champ barista, working student

John Michael Hermoso after he won the 2019 Philippine Brewers Cup last month. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

CEBU CITY—He was scheduled to compete in an international barista competition in the United States. She was to graduate from the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu in June.

But neither John Michael Hermoso nor Kis Tryvl Ramos will realize their dreams. They were killed late on Wednesday while calling it a night at The Good Cup Coffee Company on Ranudo Street, Barangay Cogon Ramos, here.

No motive has yet been established, but police said they were looking into a love triangle involving Hermoso.

Hermoso, one of five owners of the coffee shop and proclaimed champion in the Philippine Brewers Cup last month, was to fly to Boston on Thursday to represent the Philippines in the 2019 World Barista Championships.

Dead on the spot

He, the cashier Ramos and two other employees were closing the coffee shop around 11:20 p.m. when a lone gunman burst in, opened fire at them, and then sped away on a motorcycle driven by an accomplice.

Hermoso took a bullet to the head and was killed instantly. Ramos was also hit in the head and died while being taken to the nearby Velez Hospital.

Sherwin Dean Rivera and Jerome Amada were wounded and fighting for their lives in the same hospital.

Co-owner Bong Abela said Hermoso was set to compete in the world’s premier coffee competition. “He was one of our managing partners, a passionate individual driven to serve the coffee industry, not just in Cebu but in the whole Philippines,” Abela said.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the Philippine Coffee Championships said that during the World Brewers Cup and World Barista Championship stages in Boston, a moment of silence was observed at 1 a.m. on Saturday (Philippine time) to celebrate the life and mourn the death of Hermoso.

Kis Tryvl Ramos

Campus writer

Ramos was a working student scheduled to graduate midyear with a degree in psychology. She was a member of the student group Nagkahiusang Kusog sa Estudyante (NKE) and a staff writer of Tug-ani, UP Cebu’s official publication.

“It is sad that they can no longer pursue their aspirations. We call for justice and prayers for the victims,” Abela said.

Ramos’ father Reynaldo remained in shock over the killing of his only child.

“I want to … understand everything that has happened. When I saw her body at the morgue, many things came to my mind. We don’t know what is true and what’s not,” he told the Inquirer.

“I am slowly accepting what has happened but I don’t know if I can still live a normal life. We were able to send her to college and she was about to finish her studies. But everything vanished in an instant.”

Abela said he and his colleagues were cooperating in the police investigation.

“The Good Cup management never expected this to happen. We assure everyone that we will work to the best of our abilities to ensure that justice will be served for them,” he said.

Police Maj. Eduard Sanchez, chief of the Abellana Police Station, said all angles in the killings were being considered.

“Right now, we’re more inclined to believe that personal grudge toward the owner may have something to do with the attack,” Sanchez said. “We heard from those we interviewed that there could be a love triangle involving Hermoso here.”

Work of ‘seasoned hit man’

As of Saturday, the investigators were focusing on two persons of interest in connection with the crime, according to Sanchez.

Sanchez said the gunman, who remained unidentified, appeared to be “a seasoned hit man,” noting that “all six [.45-caliber] bullets found at the crime scene hit a person.”

“Hermoso and Ramos [each] received two gunshot wounds, so that’s four bullets. The survivors each received a bullet wound. So that’s a total of six,” Sanchez said. “[The shooter] was standing outside the shop [and] did not miss any target.”

Emboldened murderers

The College Editors Guild of the Philippines condemned the killings, saying a prevailing culture of impunity had “emboldened murderers to openly [use] their weapons and shoot people.”

“We will not stop calling for justice for Kis and her coworkers, and for all the victims of this senseless violence. Impunity has no place in this world,” it added.

The NKE described Ramos as “dedicated, passionate and ready to serve.” It said she went to the streets to protest injustice and human rights violations.

“Today, it’s our turn to seek justice for her innocent life as well as peace and blessings for her soul,” the NKE said. —With reports from Nestle Semilla and Morexette Marie B. Erram