Gunman in Cebu City shooting admits he was paid P20, 000

The suspect behind the shooting of a female motorcycle-taxi passenger at Cebu Business Park in Brgy. Luz, on April 14, has been arrested. Police also recovered the suspect’s gun, clothes, and getaway vehicles. | CDN Photo/ Emmariel Ares

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The man behind the shooting of a female motorcycle-taxi passenger at the Cebu Business Park on April 14 admitted that he was paid P20,000 to kill the victim.

Russel Zapeda also identified a certain Christopher Ian Maropoc as the alleged mastermind in the killing of Frince Ordeniza, 24.

Zapeda, a 24-year-old resident of Brgy. Casili in Consolacion town, said he was hired by Maropoc to follow Ordeniza and eventually kill her.

READ: Cebu City shooting: Woman riding a motor taxi killed in broad daylight

The suspect was presented to the Cebu media on Saturday by officials of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) led by Police Brigadier General Redrico Maranan and Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Police Colonel Enrico Figueroa. 

Zepada was identified based on information provided by witnesses. The police also found closed-circuit television (CCTV) footages that helped them determine the suspect’s whereabouts before and after the shooting incident.

READ: Cebu City policemen on patrol nab one of shooting suspects

He was arrested in Sitio Marna, Brgy. Mabolo at around 11:30 p.m. on Friday, April 2, and found to possess an unlicensed .38 caliber revolver, which was allegedly given to him by Maropoc, and a hand grenade.

Police also recovered the clothes that he allegedly wore during the attack. These included a shirt that was used as uniform for riders of a ride-hailing app, which he admitted to have bought from an online store.

READ: Cebu City shooting: Man shot dead while playing basketball

Gun-for-hire

Zapeda had admitted to killing Ordeniza during an interview with reporters on Saturday.

He narrated that he was introduced by someone to Maropoc in March.  That time, he was already involved in four shooting incidents but none of his victims died.

Zapeda told reporters that he was hired to follow Ordeniza for several weeks. He first visited the victim’s workplace at a shopping mall at the Cebu South Road Properties on April 11. He continued this routine, which was proven by the CCTV footages at the establishment, for a few days before he received the order to kill the woman.

He claimed that Maropoc provided him the gun and the motorcycle that he used in killing Ordeniza, including an SUV that he later on used as the getaway vehicle.

Police later on discovered that both the motorcycle and the SUV were rented by Maropoc.

April 14 shooting

On April 14, at around 10 a.m., he also followed Ordeniza to her workplace.  He continued to tail her until she left work on a motorcycle.

CCTV footage from near the traffic light in Brgy. Luz show the suspect fiddling with the gun that he used to kill Ordeniza.  He waited for the traffic lights to turn red before he grabbed her mobile phone and fired three shots at her.  One of the bullets hit her head which caused her immediate death.

It was initially believed that the motive behind the crime was robbery.  Police later on learned that he only pulled the phone to have a clear look at her face.

According to the police, Zapeda escaped towards the direction of Brgy. Mabolo where he abandoned the motorcycle and boarded the SUV with Maropoc as the driver.

Zapeda said that he was paid P20,000 cash on the same day.

Aside from Zapeda and Maropoc, police mentioned of a third suspect who acted as the spotter.

Case solved

Maropoc and the spotter are now in hiding.

Despite Zapeda’s arrest, police continue to investigate the motive behind Ordeniza’s killing.

Police said that even Zapeda was unaware as to why Maropoc wanted the woman dead.

Maranan said that while they continue to locate the two other suspects, it now safe to say that Ordeniza’s killing is now solved.

He said that they were able to fulfill their promise to the victim’s family that the perpetrator will be caught before her burial scheduled on Sunday, April 27.