Two cops, two civilians injured in barangay fiestas

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police are preparing the filing of cases against two suspects who attacked three police officers and two civilians in separate areas in Negros Occidental over the weekend.

In Escalante City, a 46-year-old cop and two civilians, including a teenager, were wounded after a member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) shot them in a fiesta in Barangay Alimango last Saturday.

The victims were identified as Police Master Sergeant Teofesto Aburido, assigned to Escalante City Police Station, Jeban Sayon, 18, of the said village, and Jay-r Garganera, 34, of Toboso town.

Police Chief Master Sergeant Jojit Ruiz, investigator of Escalante City Police Station, said that Aburido was detailed to secure the barangay fiesta when a commotion ensued between the 40-year-old Cafgu member and a local court sheriff.

Ruiz said the Cafgu member confronted the sheriff over a girl that the latter met at the fiesta.

“Accordingly, miga ni kuno ka Cafgu ang baye nga nakilala ka sheriff,” he added.

Ruiz said the suspect and the sheriff were drinking liquor separately when they figured in a heated argument.

Aburido responded and pacified the commotion. But another commotion occurred between the sheriff and the Cafgu member that led to a shooting incident.

Ruiz said that Aburido responded again to pacify them, but the suspect shot at close range, with the stray bullets hitting two civilians in the area.

Ruiz said that Aburido retaliated, but the suspect fled.

Aburido suffered a lone gunshot wound in the chest with an exit wound on his lower back, while Sayon and Garganera suffered a gunshot wound in the abdomen and the left ankle, respectively.

Police recovered from the scene eight empty fired cartridges, a live ammunition, a deformed slug, a holster of a .45 caliber firearm, and four empty fired cartridges of a .9mm caliber firearm.

Aburido and Sayon are confined in separate private hospitals here while Garganera was admitted to Vicente Gustilo District Hospital in Escalante City.

The three victims are in stable condition.

Ruiz said they already checked the bullets that hit the two civilians and they confirmed that it came from the suspect’s firearm.

Ruiz said the suspect, who was a rebel returnee, was drunk when the incident happened, as he even failed to recognize Aburido when the latter pacified him again.

The Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) turned over the suspect on Saturday night, along with his .45 caliber firearm allegedly used in the incident, according to Ruiz.

“Mayo man ni siya (suspect) kuno according sa Army kay damo siya achievements sa anti-insurgency campaign,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz said the suspect may face frustrated homicide or frustrated murder charges.

Prior to that, another policeman was wounded when an alleged drunk man punched the former when he responded to a call for assistance in a fiesta in Barangay Look, Calatrava town last Friday.

Wounded was Police Corporal Jason Mennel Abas, 32, assigned to Calatrava Municipal Police Station.

Police Major Ronald Santillan, town police chief, said that Abas and his colleague Police Corporal Neil Guilarman were allegedly threatened by the suspect identified as 40-year-old Ceasmar Perez during the police response.

Santillan said the suspect initially punched a customer who was drinking at the kiosk where he was working, prompting policemen to respond.

But, instead of calming down, the suspect allegedly assaulted the two police officers, according to Santillan.

Santillan said that direct assault charges will be filed against Perez who was arrested after the incident.

Santillan said they don’t know what caused the altercation between the suspect and the customer. But, he said that both of them knew each other.

The customer filed a report at the police station several hours after the incident, probably because of fear, Santillan said.