Three injured in Good Friday Calinog river brawl

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Three people were injured in a brawl at a river in Calinog, Iloilo, on the afternoon of Good Friday, April 3.

The injured were identified only as Roque, 62; Nilo, 56; and Barangay Kagawad JP, 33, all residents of Barangay Cahigon, Calinog.

Roque sustained hacking injuries, while Nilo and JP suffered gunshot wounds.

Maj. Myles Dieron, Calinog police chief, said investigators tagged Nilo as one of two suspects after witnesses identified him as the man who attacked Roque with a bolo.

The other suspect was identified as Anggay, a member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit, or CAFGU, from Barangay Siya, Tapaz, Capiz.

Police said the victims and their families were swimming at Malagumpit River in Barangay Cahigon when an altercation broke out among six individuals at about 1 p.m.

What began as a verbal tussle escalated into a fistfight.

While trying to pacify those involved, Roque was suddenly hacked by Nilo and hit in the face.

Police said Anggay then shot Nilo, hitting him in the chest.

JP, who was in the area to monitor swimmers, rushed to intervene but was also shot by Anggay.

The village official was hit in the right side of the chest.

The three wounded men were taken to Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Sr. Memorial District Hospital for initial treatment and were later referred to hospitals in Iloilo City for further medical care.

Dieron said Nilo was placed under hospital arrest.

Anggay, meanwhile, was voluntarily surrendered by his immediate superior at about 10:30 p.m. the same day.

Dieron said investigators believe drunkenness triggered the fight among the swimmers.