She looks like my mother: ‘hitman’ surrenders before job

A self-confessed hitman and his would-be target met yesterday in a Cebu City councilor’s office.

The man said his conscience bothered him when he saw that the woman he was supposed to kill resembled his mother.

He also told Councilor Dave Tumulak yesterday that it was a relative of the woman who had hired him, over a land ownership feud in the family. He claimed he received P15,000 as a down payment, along with a photo of the woman.

“I am happy that the Lord has enlightened his mind and my life was spared,” the woman said.

A self-confessed hitman surrendered to Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak yesterday.

Juan (not his real name) said he gave himself up because his conscience was bothering him after he found out that Maria (not her real name), his next target, resembles his mother.

“She really looks like my mother when my mother was younger. That’s why I was hesitant to pursue the job of killing her,” he said in Cebuano.

Juan and Maria, a beauty product manager, met face to face yesterday in Tumulak’s office.

Mastermind

Juan said he was commissioned by a relative of Maria to kill the latter due to a land dispute.

Maria has inherited a house and lot in the province along with some relatives but her husband won’t let her sell the property, prompting one of them to hire someone to kill her.

Juan said he received P15,000 as initial payment for the job along with Maria’s photo.

During their meeting yesterday, an emotional Maria thanked Juan for changing his mind about killing her.

“I am happy that the Lord has enlightened his mind and a life was spared. My faith is strong that’s why God protected me and the supposed killing did not push through,” she said.

Juan admitted that he has killed 20 people but it was only with Maria that his conscience bothered him.

However, Juan clarified that the people he had killed were not innocent and were also law violators.

It was Juan’s mother who coordinated with Tumulak for his surrender.

Tumulak turned Juan over to operatives of the Waterfront Police Station and the Investigation and Detection Management Branch of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).

Appeal

Meanwhile, Senior Supt. Joel Doria, CCPO director, appealed to guns-for-hire to surrender peacefully to prevent bloodshed.

“Mag-surrender na lang sila kasi hindi magpapauna yung kapulisan natin. Pwede naman silang mag bagong buhay (They might as well turn themselves in because our police will go after them. Anyway, they can always start a new life),” Doria said.

He said they will look into Juan’s story and maybe they can identify his victims.

“So that we may know who masterminded the deaths of those persons he may have killed,” said the police official.