The Philippines yesterday said that two Chinese diplomats suspected of killing two colleagues will be granted diplomatic immunity and handed over to Chinese authorities, following a bizarre restaurant shooting in Cebu.
The husband of a Chinese woman working at a Chinese consulate in Cebu shot dead the deputy consul general and a senior staff member during a birthday lunch at the restaurant on Wednesday, police have said.
Consul-General Song Ronghua (宋榮華) was wounded in the shooting. His deputy, Sun Shen, was shot in the neck and died. Li Hui, a finance officer at the consulate, was shot in the head and also died.
The suspect was arrested and identified by police as Li Qing Liang. His wife, Guo Jing, who works in the consulate’s visa section, was also held for questioning.
Philippines Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose told a news conference the couple “shall enjoy immunity from criminal jurisdiction” under the Vienna Convention, and handed over to Chinese officials.
“Upon the request of the Chinese embassy, they are being held by Philippine authorities in Cebu,” he said. “As soon as their security team from Beijing arrives here we will turn over the custody to the Chinese side.”
He said the couple will undergo legal process in China and the Philippines respects the couple’s right not to give any statement to local police.
Rey Lawas, a police spokesman in Cebu city, said investigators believe the shooting could be the result of a personal grudge over financial matters between Li Qing Liang and Sun or Li Hui.
“They have been at odds for a long time over personal finances,” Lawas said, adding the fight “was purely personal”.
Waiters at the Lighthouse, a popular Filipino-food restaurant, have told police they heard shouting from a private room but could not understand what was being said. Minutes later they heard gunshots.
The senior police officer said investigators would also look into how the pistol used in the shooting had been acquired.
“In Cebu, it’s easy to procure a gun because of a large cottage industry for homemade guns,” said a police officer, who asked not to be identified.
China’s state-back Global Times newspaper yesterday said in an editorial that diplomats often worked in stressful environments.
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