October 20, 2022
THE suspect in the murder of a rice vendor inside the Tabunok Public Market in Talisay City surrendered to police on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.
According to Jonar Villagonzalo, a native of Ronda in southwestern Cebu, he shot and killed Alvin Cuer because he was jealous.
Villagonzalo said his ex-girlfriend had been ignoring his chat messages and he thought it was because Cuer had wooed her away from him.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, chief of the Talisay City Police Station, they were able to identify the suspect immediately.
He said many people witnessed the shooting past noon on Tuesday, October 18, and they recognized the gunman because he used to work as a caretaker inside the public market.
He said they sought the help of the suspect’s family, especially the father, to convince his son to surrender.
On Wednesday afternoon, police were informed that they could pick up Villagonzalo in his uncle’s house in Barangay Tungkil in the neighboring town of Minglanilla.
During questioning, Villagonzalo said his ex-girlfriend, a saleslady at one of the stalls inside the public market, broke up with him last month.
He then learned that she was chatting with the victim.
He said he sent a chat message to Cuer warning the latter not to court his girlfriend but Cuer just “seen-zoned” him.
He said his ex-girlfriend also ignored his messages, which was why he warned them that something would happen to them.
At 12:20 p.m. on Tuesday, Villagonzalo went to Cuer’s place of work and shot him using a .45 pistol.
He said he bought the gun for P12,000 but he didn’t remember where he threw it.
The suspect said he and his ex-girlfriend were together for nine months before she broke up with him last month.
He said he wanted to get back together with her when he learned that she and Cuer, who used to be a good friend, were getting close.
People who know Villagonzalo said he was fired from his job at the public market after he went wild when his girlfriend broke up with him.
Villagonzalo will be charged with murder.
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office (PRO) in Central Visayas will award the Talisay City Police Station for the quick resolution of the case.
Aside from the Talisay City police, PRO Central Visayas Director Brigadier General Roderick Augustus Alba said his office will also award the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office for seizing five kilos of shabu with a standard drug price of P34 million and the City of Naga Police Station for the quick arrest of the suspect in the killing of a male teacher over the weekend. (AYB, BBT, PJB)