Suspect in shooting of 2 brgy bets: Tabuelan cop refuses paraffin test, faces admin raps

For his refusal to take a paraffin test, the Tabuelan policeman who has been accused of shooting two losing candidates in the recent barangay elections in that town, now faces administrative charges.

Tabuelan policeman SPO1 Victor Agang was accused by the “victims” themselves, the brothers Raymund and Zito Gallo, as the man who shot at them last Monday night.

Raymund, a resident of sitio Batiwang in barangay Tabunok, and his brother Zito, a resident of barangay Olivo of the town, ran for the post of barangay captain in their respective barangay but lost.

Agang, citing his side of the shooting, stated that at past 8pm last Monday he was on a motorcycle on his way to the house of his cousin Gigi Sido.

Upon reaching the house of Raymund, however, he said that he heard bursts of gunfire prompting him to accelerate his motorcycle off the area because he knew that he was the target of the shooting.

Agang believed that a certain “Osuot”, a supporter of Raymund, has the intention to kill him because he got into a verbal fight with this man before. 

After the shooting, Cebu Provincial Police director Carmelo Valmoria directed Supt. Teofilo Siclot, chief of the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Branch, to investigate the matter.

Siclot said that, when he was in Tabuelan, he failed to get the affidavits of the complainants because the lawyer of the Gallo brothers has earlier advised them not to issue any affidavit, and that he would be only one to arrange for such then furnish a copy to the police investigator.

There were six other people, aside from the Gallo brothers, who claimed to have seen Agang fired his gun. They were reportedly willing to sign affidavits through their lawyers, said Siclot.

Siclot said that Agang had passed the liquor test but refused to undergo a paraffin test without giving any reason at all. This prompted Valmoria to order the filing of an administrative case against the Tabuelan policeman.

Agang’s refusal to take the paraffin test may put him under suspicion and can even strengthen the accusations against him that he must have fired his firearm after all.

The formal investigation for the administrative case has yet to start but Siclot said that his office received an initial report that Agang did have a previous encounter with the man named Osuot, who the policeman allegedly kicked in the process.

Osuot was temporarily residing in a lot owned by Agang’s aunt but, during that encounter, he ran towards the house of Gallo for refuge.

The report further stated that, minutes later, Agang arrived and began firing several shots at Raymund’s house.

As of the moment, Agang is now being detailed at the Cebu Provincial Service Group pending result of investigation conducted against him. — Flor Z. Perolina/RAE