21-year-old call center agent shot dead in Cebu City

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A young call center agent was shot dead in front of the i1 Tower inside the IT Park in Apas, Cebu City, shortly before 1 a.m. on Tuesday.

Homicide investigators identified the fatality as Deogracias Guda III, 21, a native of Antipolo del Sur, Lipa City, but currently staying in Timpolok, Lapu-Lapu City. Guda was a newly hired call center agent of Convergys.

SPO2 Rommel Bancug, the homicide investigator of the Cebu City Police Office, said the victim was about to report for work at 12:45 a.m. when an unidentified man shot him once, using a .45 caliber pistol.

A CCTV footage showed that a man was waiting in the area for 10 minutes when Guda arrived and parked his motorcycle in the parking area.

Guda was seen walking and then stepping on the stairs going into the i1 tower when the gunman called his attention.  Guda turned around and was going back to where he came from when he was met by the gunman who shot him once in the chest. The gunman then boarded his own motorcycle, which was also parked in the area and then fled in an unspecified direction.

Bancug said the plate number of the gunman’s motorcycle was not seen in the CCTV footage and the security camera had no clear image of his face.

Netizens have speculated a love triangle but Bancug refused to confirm this.

However, he said, he learned from Guda’s mother that the victim’s wife and child have been living abroad.

SPO2 Bancug said the mother was still too emotional to give any statement about the death of her son to the police.

Bancug said they have started looking in personal grudge as motive for the killing.

The body of Guda is now at the St. Francis Funeral Homes.

Police investigators were able to recover one empty shell and a slug from a .45 caliber pistol. Bancug called for witnesses to come out and give their statements to the police.

Bancug said he did not know why the security guards in the area failed to apprehend the gunman.