KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews / 14 June) – A member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) shot to death a fellow paramilitary after an altercation inside their detachment Wednesday evening in Pikit, North Cotabato, police said.
Chief Insp. Romy Castanares, chief of Pikit PNP, identified the slain victim as Esmael Tanto, 43, of the 31st Civilian Active Auxiliary (CAA) Company assigned at Barangay Ginatilan, Pikit.
The suspect was identified as Alberto Caburnay Jr., of the same unit.
Castanares said that minutes before the shooting took place, the victim and the suspect had a heated altercation on some very personal matters.
To prevent the altercation from worsening, Tanto reportedly went to the detachment’s dining room to watch his favorite show on television.
Caburnay, however, went to his room, took his rifle, and returned to the dining room and shot Caburnay on his head and chest.
Castanares said that when they arrived at the crime scene they saw Tanto being carried by his buddies to the Cruzado Medical Clinic in the Poblacion for treatment. The victim, however, expired while on his way to the hospital, the police officer said.
The police recovered from the crime scene eight spent bullets of the M14 rifle, which the suspect used in killing his target.
Caburnay escaped from the detachment and is now the subject of a police manhunt.
In Makilala also in North Cotabato, a 37-year-old farmer was hacked to death by his own friend after a heated altercation around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Chief Insp. Johnny Rick Felongco Medel, chief of Makilala PNP, identified the victim as Reynald Pepikan of Purok-3, Barangay Batasan, while the suspect was only identified in his alias as “Bolandot,” of the same barangay.
Medel said the suspect has long been at odds with the victim.
After a verbal tussle Wednesday night, the suspect went home with a bolo and returned to the victim’s place where he hacked his target several times.
Pepikan, who was hit on his head and chest, died instantly while Bolandot escaped from the area.
The Makilala PNP has already launched a manhunt operation against the suspect.
(Malu Cadelina Manar / MindaNews)
