Taxi driver: We just pretended to be close

The taxi driver accused of threatening the woman who was found dead with her live-in partner showed up at the Consolacion Police Station Monday night to clear his name.

Danilo Bereso said he had nothing to do with the deaths of Nerio Tangcawan and Leoditha Cañete, who were found dead with gunshot wounds in the woman’s house in Poblacion, Liloan town, northern Cebu last Monday morning.

Police said indications point to a domestic argument fueled by jealousy that ended with Tangcawan shooting his lover then killing himself.

Cañete, a wedding coordinator, had lodged a complaint against Bereso at the Lilo-an Police Station last Sunday, accusing the taxi driver of sending her a threatening text message.

Bereso explained that the text message he sent to Cañete was just his reply to the woman, whom he said sent him a message about Tangcawan’s threat.

“She said that Sir (Tangcawan) threatened her again, and Ma’am (Cañete) said that if I come by to her place again, he (Tangcawan) will shoot me and her (Cañete). He had a handgun,” said Bereso.

Bereso said he believed Tangcawan forced the woman to report to the police.

Cañete had been wanting to end her four-year relationship with Tangcawan, a widower.

Tangcawan, however, refused to break up with the woman, Bereso said.

In her bid to end the relationship, Bereso said Cañete convinced the driver to pretend to have a relationship,

The taxi driver said he had been working for Cañete for about three months.

In the morning, he would drive her to her workplace in barangay Mabolo, Cebu City and then pick her up in the afternoon from Mondays to Fridays.

Bereso said that their closesness was just for show.

“I am married, and I am confident about my marriage, so I didn’t see it as anything improper. My wife knows that we were only pretending. It was for Cañete’s sake. But we never thought that this would become a reason for their deaths,” Bereso said in Cebuano.

Bereso said he owed it to Cañete to help her since the woman had also helped him in the past with his problems.

As part of the pretense, the driver o said he showed pictures of him with Cañete to her partner.

Tangcawan reacted violently and threatened to kill both of them, he said.

After that incident, Bereso said he just waited for Cañete to call him in case she needed help.

Bereso was turned over to the Liloan police but was later released for lack of evidence that would link him to the couple’s death, police said.

SPO3 Marcelino Servilla said they are still waiting for the Crime Scene Investigation’s report on the result of the paraffin test and the autopsy of the two bodies.

Initial investigation showed that Tangcawan shot Cañete before shooting himself.

A handgun was found near the body of Tangcawan.

Cañete was shot in the back while Tangcawan had a gunshot wound in the head.

The woman also had a black eye, indicating she may have been assaulted before she was killed.