John Wayne Sace says he received threats prior to fatally shooting his friend

John Wayne Sace, the former actor who was arrested for allegedly fatally shooting his friend in Pasig City, claimed he and his family received threats prior to committing the crime.

“Meron pong banta eh, may banta po sa akin at saka sa pamilya ko. Inikutan na po ko eh, ‘yun na rin po ang last na ikot niya eh, nagsalita rin naman siya eh sa akin eh, 'isang ikot na lang. Isa pa,’ sabi sa akin,” Sace said in a 24 Oras report by Emil Sumangil on Tuesday.

(There was a threat to me and my family. I was being observed, that was his last surveillance of me. He also told me, 'Just one more round. One more.’") 

“Nararamdaman ko po talaga na mayroon siyang gagawin na hindi maganda,” Sace added regarding his former friend.

(I really felt he is going to do something that is not good.)

“‘Yung motive nito’y old personal grudge… May grave threats sa bawat isa, so ‘yun ang lumalabas na motibo,” said Police Colonel Hendrix Mangaldan, Chief of Police of Pasig Police.

(The motive for this is an old personal grudge... There are grave threats against each other, so that appears to be the motive.)

In a CCTV footage, the victim, Lynell Eugenio, was seen walking in an alley.

A few minutes later, gunshots were heard at 7:30 p.m. of Monday in Barangay Sagad, Pasig City.

Eugenio suffered four bullet wounds and died immediately.

“Nakita ko ‘yung tao. nakahandusay na siya, wala na pong buhay ("I saw the person lying down, lifeless),” said barangay tanod Jesus Berecio.

“Ihahatid po sana siya ni papa sa BGC, magpapa-service po sana siya. Nagulat na lang po ako, ganu’n po ‘yung nangyari… Nanggagalaiti po ko na nasasaktan nang sobra… Sa taong ‘yun, kung may konsensiya ka man, lumabas ka na… Sana makonsensiya ka na kung napapanood mo man ‘to,” said a kin of the victim.

(Dad would have taken him to BGC, he was supposed to be brought via service. I was surprised that it happened... I was enranged and in so much pain... To the suspect, if you have a conscience, get out... I hope you feel guilty after watching this.) 

The Pasig City Police shared with GMA Integrated News the CCTV footage of a hotel in Pasig where Sace checked in after committing the crime.

Undercover cops waited at the lobby and pretended to inquire.

Few minutes later, Sace came out of the room to transact at the reception, but the police grabbed him.

The witnesses revealed that before the crime happened, they noticed that the suspect was acting differently.

“Lasing po siya, tapos po, pulang-pula ‘yung mata, bangag na bangag po 'yung itsura niya… Tapos nagtataka lang po ako, parang hawak po siya ng hawak sa likod,”

(He was drunk, his eyes were red, he appeared to be high... I was curious, he seemed to keep holding something behind his back.)

The police received a lead on Sace’s location, after he posted on his social media account hours after the crime.

Sace appeared to be insinuating at someone with his post.

The police took a clue with the background of his photo, which showed a wall of a hotel in Pasig.

The investigation revealed that the suspect and the victim were former friends, but their friendship turned sour due to a dispute that worsened after.

Pasig Police recovered a .45 pistol.

Both the victim and the suspect are on the drug watchlist of the Pasig Police.

Sace faced murder charges following the incident.

"There is a premeditated planning, at the shadow of the night, he shot the victim without any defense," said Mangaldan. — Jamil Santos/BAP, GMA Integrated News