Ekip
24 October 2015•Update: 27 October 2015
By Roy Ramos
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines
A Chinese couple suspected of the murder of two diplomats in the central Philippines have been flown to China under the cover of diplomatic immunity, local media reported Saturday.
Sunstar Cebu quoted an unnamed source as saying that Gou Jing -- first secretary at the Chinese Consular Office in Cebu -- and husband Li Qingliang boarded a flight to Xiamen late Friday night, escorted by a top Chinese official and a number of police officers.
Surveillance camera footage reportedly shows Li carrying out Wednesday's shootings, which killed the deputy consul general at China's Consulate in Cebu, Sun Shan, and consulate finance officer Hui Li.
Consul General Song Ronghua was wounded.
The couple departed Cebu on Friday, hours after Mayor Michael Rama ordered police to force the couple to stay and face charges.
Anyone who defied his orders would face consequences, he said.
However, Police Regional Office Director Prudencio Tom Banas told a press conference that police would not file a case.
“As we have said, there is full diplomatic immunity and that is recognized by the government of the Philippines.”
Rama underlined that in his eyes it was a purely local affair.
"We are expressing our disenchantment because we look at the whole incident as something condemnable."
Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella told reporters that he believes that any crime committed within the country’s territory, regardless of who committed it, should face local laws.
“It is my respectful submission that diplomatic immunity... [is] only applicable to ambassadors."
