Espina orders relief of precinct commander after deaths of FEU students
Police Director Leonardo Espina. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—National Capital Region Police Office chief, Police Director Leonardo Espina ordered the relief of the police community precinct commander of Manila Police District’s station 4, following the shooting incident in the University Belt area Tuesday evening which resulted to the deaths of two Far Eastern University students.
In a radio interview Wednesday, Espina said he ordered MPD director, Chief Superintendent Alex Gutierrez, to relieve PCP commander, Senior Inspector Antonio Naag, of his post “for not aggressively preventing crimes from happening.”
Two FEU students were killed, while another was injured, after they were shot by a still unidentified suspect outside their campus along R. Papa near corner N. Reyes streets in Sampaloc, Manila around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Police Officer 2 Crispino Ocampo, MPD-homicide investigator said.
The two fatalities were later identified as Gerald Ramos, 21; and Juan Paulo Nepomuceno, 17; while the injured victim was identified as Adrian Joseph Santiago, 17. All were said to be members of a cheering squad.
Ocampo said the victims were on the way to a gymnasium along R. Papa Street when the suspect “treacherously” shot the victims in different parts of their bodies. He fled after the incident.
The suspect was described to be standing 5’4” to 5’5” in height, medium build, and with long hair, Ocampo said.
He said Ramos sustained gunshot wounds at the right portion of his chest and neck, while Nepomuceno, likewise, sustained gunshot wounds on the right side of his chest, neck, and at the back of the head. Both of them died later that evening at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital.
The wounded Santiago, on the other hand, was shot at the back, and is currently recuperating at Mary Chiles Hospital.
While Ocampo said they have yet to determine the motive behind the attack, a radio report said authorities are looking into a fraternity-war angle.
