A 27-year-old call center employee was shot dead last Sunday even as she pleaded with three armed suspects not to take her cell phone during a robbery inside an FX taxi in Pasig City.
Charlene Santos, of Vista Verde Subdivision in Cainta, Rizal, sustained a gunshot wound in the nape.
She was declared dead on arrival at the Pasig City General Hospital.
Senior Superintendent Romeo Abaring, Pasig City officer-in-charge (OIC), said witnesses have identified one of Santos’ attackers after going through police file photos.
"We are now closing in on him," Abaring said.
Santos was on board a gray Mitsubishi Adventure (TWR 939) taxi traveling westbound on Ortigas Avenue in Barangay Rosario when the three men, armed with caliber .45 pistols, announced a heist at about 6:45 p.m. last Sunday.
The victim was on her way to work at the InfoXX call center on Ayala Avenue Makati City.
Police said Santos was seated at the back of the driver with one of the robbers sitting beside her.
Another robber was seated in front while a third companion was seated in the rear.
Witnesses said Charlene initially resisted and told robbers they could take all her belongings, except her cell phone because it contained contact numbers and important information.
He said one of the suspects ordered his companion gunman to shoot Charlene. "Ganyan na ba kamura ang buhay ng tao ngayon?" the victim’s father, Loreto Sr., 51, asked.
The phone was worth P25,000.
Loreto said he wants justice for her daughter. " Sana hindi mapabilang sa unsolved crimes statistics ang kanyang kaso."
After shooting Charlene, the suspects grabbed her phone and fled on foot toward the floodway, Abaring said.
The taxi driver rushed the victim to the hospital, but she was declared dead on arrival by attending physician Dr. Mirah Compuesto.

Charlene was the eldest of three children of Loreto and Elma, 50, both teachers of the Mariano Marcos State University in Batac, Ilocos Norte.
Loreto said he and his wife often visited their children in Cainta. They were together last Thursday and Friday.
"Hindi ako makapaniwala na wala na siya," the father said, in between sobs.
The mother said the cell phone was valued by Charlene because it was the fruit of her hard labor.
"She was proud about owning the cell phone because it was her first investment," Elma said.
The father said Charlene got the cell phone on installment basis. "Malapit na niyang matapos hulugan ang cell phone at nais niya itong ibigay sa nanay niya," he said,
Loreto said his daughter also promised to buy one for his younger brother, Loreto Antonio 11, who will be entering high school after summer.
When Charlene went home to City recently, Loreto told her that if she is ever held up, she should hand over her cell phone.
"Talagang may sentimental value lang ang cell phone sa kanya kaya’t nagbakasakali siyang maawa ang mga suspects," he said.

Loreto said their housemaid recalled that while washing clothes last Saturday, Charlene joked that her jacket was colored brown, but that the water in the wash basin was red.
Last Sunday morning, Charlene also asked the housemaid to apply on her fingernails the nail polish sent to her as gift by relatives from abroad to "make her look beautiful."
The victim was always in a cheerful mood when leaving for work, but not on that particular day.
"Nakayuko siya at sabay sabing, sige aalis na ako," Loreto told The STAR.
The father said from their house, Charlene would usually take a passenger jeepney that would bring her to the Cainta junction, where she would board an FX taxi bound for Ayala Avenue.
"Umuwi kami sa Laoag noong Sabado lang at ilang oras lang ay nakatanggap na kami ng tawag na wala na siya," said Loreto. " Sana masaya siya kung saan man siya naroroon ngayon."
The father said they would wait for the arrival of their relatives from abroad before scheduling the internment of Charlene in Laoag City.