Chinese investigators here to probe diplomats’ killing

CEBU CITY – Police investigators from the People’s Republic of China (PROC) arrived in Cebu City yesterday to conduct their own investigation on the restaurant shooting incident that killed two embassy officials and injured the Chinese consul general last week.

Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, Chief of the Directorial Staff of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said the Chinese investigators arrived here yesterday morning and immediately interviewed local police officials who have knowledge about the incident.

The investigators and PRO-7 officials were in a closed-door conference as of noontime yesterday.

Lawas said the Chinese investigators would like to determine what the real story is behind the shooting incident at the Light House Restaurant last week, which resulted in the death of Deputy Consul General Sun Shan and Consul Finance Officer Hui Li.

The incident also injured Consul General Song Ronghua, who was celebrating his birthday when the shooting occurred.

Closed-circuit TV (CCTV) video shows what apparently looked like an argument breaking out among guests inside a private room while singers sang “Happy Birthday.” CCTV footage then caught Li shooting Hui in the head with a pistol which Guo, his wife, took away after Li placed it on a table. The couple then were seen leaving the room in haste. They were both arrested later by police in the Chinese consular office not far from the restaurant.

Over the weekend, Chinese police fetched the two suspects from the custody of Philippine authorities and flew them back to China.

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said it has already wrapped up its own investigation on the incident and submitted its report to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Criminal Intelligence Branch head Romeo Santander said CCPO investigators have complied with all the investigation requirements based on the DFA orders and have turned over all evidences and statements of witnesses to the DFA.