Scolded security guard kills parish priest’s driver

An irked security guard shot dead on Thursday morning a parish priest’s driver who had threatened to have him fired.

Dante Castelo, 48, the guard assigned at Holy Family Parish Church on Onyx Street in San Andres Bukid, Manila, fled after he shot the victim, 52-year-old Wilfredo Servando.

Servando, the driver of parish priest Msgr. Roberto Espenilla, died more than two hours later at San Juan de Dios Hospital in Pasay City due to two gunshot wounds in the chest.

PO3 Jupiter Tajonera of the Manila Police District homicide section said that the shooting took place around 7:30 a.m. Thursday outside the church’s security office.

Witnesses told investigators that Servando had scolded Castelo over his poor work record and had also threatened to have him replaced should he fail to do better.  Irked, Castelo drew his .38-caliber service revolver and shot Servando.

“The suspect was just recently employed at the church while Servando had been with Monsignor Espenilla for a long time and was treated like a son,” Tajonera said.