3 barangay tanod face frustrated murder raps

CEBU, Philippines - A criminal complaint for frustrated murder was filed against three barangay tanods of Tunghaan, Minglanilla and a civilian companion before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly shooting a man who tried to seek their help while being pursued by a group of people whom he had misunderstanding with.

Barangay tanods Eleno Pardillo, Nilo Oberes and Delfin Juares were accused by Ian Hermosa Frangos of shooting him at 2 a.m. on March 15 while he tried to approach them for help.

Fernando Bastatas, a civilian companion of the three tanods, was also included in the complaint that the Minglanilla police filed yesterday.

Frangos, resident of sitio Bacay in barangay Tulay, Minglanilla, said he and his neighbor Rommel Ybañez attended a disco in sitio Panaghiusa, barangay Tunghaan in the evening of March 14.

Frangos, who sustained a gunshot wound during the alleged shooting, said that while he was dancing together with Ybañez, a teenager whom he only knew as Gerald approached him asking if he had any problem with the group of young people also dancing outside the fence.

Frangos said when he replied that he did not have any problem, Gerald left and join with the group outside the fence. He said the members of the group were glaring at them, prompting him and his neighbor to leave the place to avoid trouble.

The group allegedly followed them, prompting him to run but the teenagers chased them. Frangos said he met the group of the suspects whom he tried to approach for help.

But the tanods allegedly fired at him, hitting him in his upper chest. A subsequent shot was fired at him but missed him. Frangos said he continued to run until his neighbor, a habal-habal driver, rescued him.

The driver brought him to the Minglanilla District Hospital but he was later transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center where he was confined for three weeks.

The tanods including the civilian were later investigated by the police and subjected to a paraffin test. The test found Oberes and Bastatas positive of the gun powder nitrates, which suggested that they have fired a gun. – Fred P. Languido/LPM     (THE FREEMAN)