Murder charges were filed by the family of Serafin Gesta yesterday against airport security guard Jessie Jumadiao who is detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office for allegedly shooting down the taxi driver at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
SPO2 Fermin Donque Jr., LLCPO homicide investigator, said they assisted Gesta's family in filing the charges before the Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor's Office in lieu of homicide since they considered the act “premeditated.”The family refused to issue a statement to the media on the incident as of yesterday.
Donque said initial investigation showed that Gesta drove a vehicle that is affiliated with a rent-a-car company operating in the MCIA. Donque said reports that Gesta was a colorum driver “were still being verified.” MCIA general manager Danilo Francia said their in-house investigation showed that it was Gesta who first punched the security guard. According to a report submitted by acting airport police division chief Bonifacio Pusta III, Jumadiao got furious at Gesta for trying to draw passengers to his vehicle outside the domestic terminal of the MCIA. Witnesses said Gesta got down and walked to the domestic arrival area to pick up some passengers. When Jumadiao told Gesta to leave, the driver refused and told him that his MCIA registration would soon be renewed. The argument turned ugly and Gesta reportedly hit and pinned Jumadiao on the ground.
But when the security guard managed to pull out his service firearm, Gesta ran up the stairs leading to the domestic departure area where his car was parked. Jumadiao fired two shots at Gesta's back, causing the driver to fall down the stairs.
The security guard then approached the fallen Gesta and shot him in the head, witnesses said. Airport officials said the shooting outside the domestic terminal was an “isolated case” and that the airport remained safe. Gesta, who hailed from Compostela town, died at 10:17 a.m at the Mactan Doctors Hospital. The security guard underwent a paraffin test last Thursday afternoon to determine if he had fired a gun recently. Reporter Dale G. Israel | 
