Graduating nursing student shot, killed in Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines - A robber shot and killed past midnight yesterday a nursing student just three weeks shy of her graduation. Ruby Jade Magpatoc Ruba, 20, was attacked along Gov. Roa St. in Barangay Capitol, Cebu City. At the time of the attack, she was working on a case study she had to finish in order to graduate. More than two hours after that attack, a 60-year-old Dutch national was taken to a private hospital after a robber shot him in the neighboring Barangay Camputhaw. Both robberies raise questions about the safety of the city’s streets. But Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador said he would not say the incidents were alarming, because the statistics show that fewer crimes were committed in the first two months of this year, compared to the same period in previous years. He, however, assured the public, particularly the victims’ families, that the police force is doing everything it can to solve the crimes. Reward Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña offered P30,000 for the arrest of the gunman, who he hopes is not “another criminal on the rampage." He also said he will provide financial aid to the student’s family and immediate burial assistance of not less than P5,000. However, the mayor does not think that this “singular" incident is something that can “trigger another wave of vigilantes." “It’s for the police to say if there is a pattern. Historically, many of our crimes are committed by the same person," said Osmeña in his news conference. He also pledged to deploy more tanods to boost security in the city’s 80 barangays. Operatives from the Theft and Robbery Section (TRS) arrested the two suspects in the robbery of the Dutch national. Investigators are trying to find out if Isabelo C. Fernandez, 24, and Leonardo B. dela Cruz, 22, both of Sitio Kawayan, Sambag 2, Cebu City, were the same persons who robbed the nursing student. Over a phone Ruba, 20, hailed from Macrohon, Southern Leyte and temporarily lived in an apartment on B. Rodriguez St., Cebu City. She was scheduled to graduate from the Cebu Doctors’ University on March 30, Ruby’s brother Richie told reporters. Ruby, daughter of Vicente Ruba of the Philippine Coast Guard Headquarters District Central 7, was the only girl of three siblings. Homicide investigators led by SPO1 Jay Yballe learned that Ruby, together with a female friend, was heading toward a dormitory on Gov. Roa St. (formerly Kamuning St.), Capitol Site to pick up the adaptor of a laptop they borrowed from a classmate. Ruby was working on her case study, a graduation requirement. When Ruby and her friend were near the dormitory, she sent a text message to inform her classmate that they had arrived. At that point, a man appeared and pointed a gun at the two women. Scared, the two ran in different directions. Ruby’s friend told Yballe that a single gunshot was the next thing she heard. She saw her friend slumped on the dormitory’s ramp. Dreams lost The friend and the dormitory’s security guard rushed her to the Cebu Doctors’ Hospital, a few blocks away, but she died minutes later. A pouch where Ruby kept her Nokia cellular phone, a model worth about P5,000, was already gone. The armed robber reportedly fled on a red motorcycle driven by a cohort. Ruby’s brother, Richie, said that based on the autopsy performed by Dr. Benjamin Lara, PNP 7 medico-legal officer, the slug hit his sister’s left side and tore out through her chest, before hitting the side of her left wrist. It pierced her lungs, liver, heart and stomach. He appealed to the police to identify and arrest the man who killed his sister. Ruby, he said, was looking forward to their class prom next week and had already picked out her class ring. Her body will be brought back to the family’s hometown in Southern Leyte tonight. Whether or not there was a lapse in the police measures taken to secure the site where Ruba was shot is a matter the mayor and local police officers still have to discuss. Undermanned “In fairness to our police department, we are really short of policemen. But keep in mind that in 1965, my father accomplished his goal to have 1,000 policemen. I know that as of last month, we had 865 policemen. If we’re going to compare 1965 and 2008, that is a difference of over 40 years. Even during 1965, we still have crimes. What can we do with 865 policemen today?" he said. “Still, in spite of that, we have been able to solve many of the major cases and we’ve been able to neutralize many of the criminals. This is a never-ending war, even if we had 3,000 policemen," he added. Less than three hours after the attack on Ruby, another robbery occurred. TRS Chief Michael Anthony Bastes identified the victim as Melessen Hendirikos, a Dutch national. He was walking at the corner of Aboitiz and F. Manalo Sts. in Camputhaw, on his way to his hotel, when two men—later identified as Fernandez and dela Cruz—held him up. One of the suspects shot Hendirikos in the head before taking his P6,000 cash. Cornered Magdasal Guegonio Jr. and Edwin Sesco, both members of the Anti-Robbery and Thievery Task Force (Artaf), saw the incident and immediately called for help from the TRS operatives. A TRS team led by SPO1 Mario Pasuelo passed by the area after responding to the incident that involved the nursing student. The TRS operatives and the two civilian volunteers chased Fernandez and dela Cruz, finally cornering them near the Sacred Heart Church along D. Jakosalem St. Both Fernandez and dela Cruz had one sachet of what appeared to be shabu in their possession. The P6,000 cash taken from Hendirikos was also recovered from dela Cruz’s possession. A .38 revolver with three empty shells and two live bullets inside were found by the operatives, abandoned beside the road on D. Jakosalem St. where the two were arrested. Hendirikos was treated at Chong Hua Hospital, where he was later declared out of danger. He also identified the two as the perpetrators, police said. - Sun.Star