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Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Drunk soldiers shoot Laak cop chief dead
* Insp. George Torres succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds
* Civilian also killed
* Mayor says it was the second shooting incident involving soldiers belong to the Army's 60th IB
COMPOSTELA VALLEY -- A high-ranking police officer and another civilian were killed after Army soldiers, who appeared to be drunk, allegedly peppered them with bullets inside a videoke house in Laak, Compostela Valley, Monday evening.
The victims, who succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, are identified as Insp. George Torres, 49, Laak town police chief and Edgar Basot, who was only hanging out within the vicinity of the videoke joint.
Reports reaching Police Regional Office (PRO) XI disclosed that the incident took place around 10:30 p.m. inside BMK Store in Poblacion, Laak.
Torres and his group were eating inside the store/videoke joint when six soldiers belonging to the Army's 60th Infantry Battalion arrived. They were accompanied by a businessman identified as Jessie Manzures.
Police said the soldiers appeared to be drunk and were allegedly displaying unruly behavior when formally introduced by Manzures to Torres.
When Torres reportedly asked Manzures if the six were members of the Philippine Army, the soldiers allegedly replied "no".
Torres reportedly got irked because the six allegedly did not show respect to a police official. This prompted a heated argument to erupt.
Thinking that the argument would eventually be pacified, SPO1 Solomon Balquin, one of Torres' companions, went to the comfort room.
But he said a few seconds after he left, he heard gunshots and he saw Torres and Basot bathed in their own blood on the floor.
In an interview over radio station dxAB Tuesday morning, Laak Mayor Roger Arambala said there have already been two shooting incidents involving members of the 60th IB since their assignment in Laak Friday morning.
Following the killing of the town's police chief, Arambala said Tuesday that he would ask the higher command of the Philippine Army for the pullout of the 60th IB in Laak.
The 60th IB was formerly based in Barangay Ngan in Compostela, but they were reportedly transferred to Laak following several complaints against them.
Arambala said Friday afternoon that in the earlier incident, three people were killed, including a barangay councilman of Barangay Datu Davao, Laak, while another civilian was wounded when they were attacked by Army soldiers belonging to 60th IB.
The Army immediately said the incident was an encounter with suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA).
But Arambala said he would call for an immediate investigation of the incident.
ComVal police provincial director Jaime Morente is also expected to meet with Col. Rodoldo Obaniana, commanding officer of the 404th Brigade -- of which the 60th IB is under -- to relieve the 60th IB from Laak to avoid tension that is expected to arise between police authorities and the soldiers. RCO
(April 28, 2004 issue)
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