Police Arrest One of 2 Survivors in Shooting of 3 Foreign Nationals

The case of the shooting of three foreigners in a fast food chain in Talisay City Friday last week took a strange twist Tuesday when police arrested one of the foreign nationals who survived in the shooting attack that killed a German disaster volunteer.

It turned out Frenchman Julien Jerome Mathieu Maillard has pending warrant of arrest in nearby Siquijor province in a case involving violence against women and their children.

The Talisay City police served the warrant of arrest on Frenchman Julien Jerome Mathieu Maillard at the Talisay City Prosecutor’s Office Tuesday afternoon as he witnessed the filing of the criminal complaints against his and the two other foreigners’ attackers.

The arrest warrant for violation of the Republic Act 9262 was issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 46 Judge Alejandro Bahonsua Jr. in Larena, Siquijor.

Maillard, 31, is temporarily detained at the Talisay City Police Station after he failed to pay the Php 24,000 bail.

The Frenchman said he was not aware of the case because he did not get a subpoena to answer it.

He said he has a wife in Siquijor whom he married while he was still 22 years old, but they agreed to separate ways after five years.

Maillard was one of the three foreigners attacked by gunmen inside a McDonald’s restaurant in Barangay Tabunok, Talisay City Friday last week.

Indian national Cheten Saparaiya also survived in the attack but disaster volunteer Henry Haffner, a German, was killed.

Criminal complaints for murder and frustrated murder were filed Tuesday against the three suspects arrested in hot pursuit operations. Another suspect remains at large.

The suspects are identified as Ricci Edwin Ramirez Jr., Allano Velos, Roger Cal and Dexci Gomonte.

Except for Gomonte, who is still subject of an ongoing manhunt operation, all other suspects are now under detention.

Ramirez, Velos and Cal were indicted of the complaints after they waived their rights to avail of a preliminary investigation.

State prosecutor Hyacinth Jadraque found probable cause to elevate the charges in court based on the evidence submitted by the police during inquest investigation.

The three opted to answer the charges directly in court.

Aside from the murder and frustrated murder cases, Ramirez and Cal will face a separate charge for illegal possession of firearm.

Another criminal case for possession of dangerous drugs was also filed against Ramirez. (PNA) RMA/EB