Saturday, March 01, 2008 5 men who ‘stormed’ Centcom gate face physical injuries, assault raps
A CRIMINAL complaint was filed yesterday against five men who allegedly tried to storm the Central Command headquarters gates following a scuffle last Sunday.
Lt. Col. Michael Malasa, commanding officer of the Headquarters Service Group, signed the complaint that charged brothers Alex and Anthony Galan, Augustus Soleño, Dimporiano Urdanita and Vergel Cabigon before the office of the Cebu City Prosecutor.
The complaint also included unidentified individuals and centered on their alleged attack on Private First Class Raymond Pastera of the Philippine Marines and Seaman First Class Dioflor Almonte of the Philippine Navy.
For the assault, the two Galans, Soleño, Urdanita and Cabigon stand charged with physical injuries, assault upon a person in authority, resistance and disobedience to agents of persons in authority.
For allegedly trying to storm the gate after the incident, the five also face a malicious mischief charge.
A counter-charge, however, is in the offing.
Alex Galan is poised to file his own complaint against Almonte who pulled his gun during the assault on the gate and, after managing to retain his pistol when Alex allegedly tried to grab it, fired a shot that injured the civilian.
Attached to the complaint lodged yesterday was the affidavit of Pastera, who said the incident began when an unidentified drunk man punched him while he was trying to flag down a passenger motorcycle for a ride home to Sitio Plaza, Barangay Apas, a few meters outside the camp’s Apas gate.
He said the man was part of a group that had been drinking a few meters from Gate 2. He said that after he got hit, the other persons in the group also attacked him.
He said he ran towards Gate 2 where some soldiers stood guard. He didn’t make it. He fell down and got attacked while trying to get up.
He said he was only able to get inside the camp when Almonte half-dragged him in.
He said the group, which included the five persons charged, tried to pounce on Almonte too. The Navy man, he said, pulled out his gun to defend himself but Alex tried to grab it, causing it to go off.
Almonte executed an affidavit of his own. In it, he said he saw the actual assault on Pastera and that he even saw Pastera going down while running towards the camp gate.
“At this point, I sensed that they were so violent. (This) prompted me to get my service firearm to make a warning shot but I was not able to do so because my firearm was suddenly grabbed by Alex Galan. We were grappling (over) the firearm and, in the process, it went off, hitting the back of the body of Alex Galan,” he said.
Two civilians – shopkeepers operating businesses outside Gate 2 – also issued affidavits detailing the mauling and the subsequent shooting. KNR
