Two Chinese diplomats were shot dead while another was wounded in a shooting incident during a birthday luncheon at a restaurant in Cebu City Wednesday.
The fatalities were identified as Consul Sun Shan and Consul Finance Officer Hui Li. The two were pronounced dead after being taken to two separate hospitals.
Chinese Consul General in Cebu, Song Rong Hua, was wounded in the incident.
Police reports said the three were having lunch along with six other people at a function room in Lighthouse Restaurant when the suspect, armed with a .45 cal. Colt Defender, barged into the room and fired at the victims.
Police identified the gunman as Chinese national Li Qing Liang, 60, also a consul. He was with his wife, Gou Jing, 57, a visa officer, when the shooting transpired.
Gou Jing was also arrested because she took the firearm that her husband left on the restaurant table.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showed that Li was seen holding the gun as Hui fell, apparently after shooting her. After which, he placed the gun on the table. Another footage showed a woman, whom the police identified as Gou, holding the gun while walking apparently out of the restaurant.
Recovered from the crime scene were the .45 cal. pistol, three empty shells, two deformed slugs, and one live ammunition.
Following their arrest, the suspects were taken to the Cebu City Police Office in Camp Sotero Cabahug but were later transferred to Police Regional Office-Central Visayas for security reasons.
Police said the suspects invoked diplomatic immunity when they were taken in for questioning.
Update: Cops from Beijing to fetch suspects
Chinese police officers from Beijing will be arriving in the country Saturday to take the suspects in the killing of Chinese diplomats Sun Shan and Hui Li in Cebu City back to China.
The suspects will be tried for murder in China.
City police investigators will also turn over the evidence gathered in the shooting to the Chinese government.
