Three men nabbed for indiscriminate gun firing

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Three men were arrested for alleged indiscriminate discharge of firearm early morning of August 4, 2021 in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

Police reports indicated that Army Corporal Gary dela Cruz, 27, and John Michael Bañares, 26, both residents of Barangay Pulo Maestravita, Oton, Iloilo; and Kim Justin Gasapo, 28, of Barangay Hibao,an Norte, Mandurriao, Iloilo were allegedly drunk when the incident happened.

The trio allegedly went on binge drinking at Gasapo’s house prior to the incident.

Police manning the quarantine control checkpoint (QCP), which is just around 50 meters from Gasapo’s house, responded to the area after hearing gunfire volleys.

They immediately intercepted a speeding motorcycle with dela Cruz and Bañares on board. The police officers later flagged them down.

They were frisked and dela Cruz yielded an M1911 FS caliber .45 pistol (Rock Island Armory, serial number 019945AFP) with one ammunition, an empty magazine, and inside holsters.

While caliber .45 ammunition was recovered from Bañares.

Police also seized from Gasapo magazines for caliber .45 pistol loaded with 11 ammunition.

Major Jose Mark Anthony Gesulga, Mandurriao police chief, said dela Cruz identified himself as an AFP member. Reports indicated that he is a member of the 15th Infantry Battalion based in Negros Occidental.

In a follow up investigation, police recovered three fired cartridges and four deformed slugs of caliber .45 ammunition.

“Nagpaputok lang without aiming at anyone. Hindi rin sila makausap ng maayos during their arrest kasi lasing na lasing,” Gesulga said.

Gesulga said they already submitted a report to the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office to check the firearm.

The three suspects will also be subjected to paraffin test to ascertain if they fired the gun.

They are now detained at the lock-up cell of Iloilo City Police Station 5.