CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Five army personnel were killed while another one was wounded when a soldier ran amok and shot at troopers sleeping inside the 4th Infantry Division headquarters in Barangay Patag, this city, early Saturday, Feb. 11.
Police identified the fatalities as Pvt. Joseph Tamayo, PFC Prince Kevin Balaba, Sgt. Rogelio Rojo, Cpl. Bernardo Rodrigo, and Pvt. Johmar Villabito, the suspected shooter. Wounded was Staff Sgt. Braulio Macalos Jr.
According to police, Villabito “shot the victims without any apparent and justifiable reason using M16.”
A certain Pvt. Mark Anthony Aguined, police said, managed to neutralize the suspect.
Maj. Francisco Garello Jr., 4ID spokesperson, said the suspect shot his fellow soldiers while they were sound asleep inside their barracks at the Service Support Battalion (SSBN) unit.
Garello confirmed one of the dead victims was the suspect’s roommate and the other victims got involved after the said assailant went to their respective rooms and shot them.
“The suspect went to the victims’ rooms and shot them,” Garello said.
During the incident, two soldiers had already noticed the gunshots and they were the ones who neutralized the suspect in self-defense after he forcibly entered their room.
The suspect had visited a total of five rooms, the 4ID spokesperson said.
The 4ID is still currently gathering other information from the witnesses to establish the motive of the shooting.-Jigger Jerusalem
