Guard kills company driver

CEBU, Philippines - A company driver died after he was accidentally shot dead by their new security guard Thursday afternoon inside the premises of Islander Foot Works in Barangay Inayagan, Minglanilla.

Now detained at the Minglanilla police stockade is the 19-year-old suspect, Alandre Alegado, of Barangay Guadalupe, Carcar City who is under the Centurion Security Agency.

Alegado admitted the crime but claimed that what happened was only an accident.

The victim, 22-year-old Brian Gabinete, of Barangay South Poblacion, Naga City was the driver of the company’s forklift. He died after he was shot on the head.

Their co-workers tried to rush the victim to the South General Hospital but he did not make it.

Alegado, who was on his eighth day as security guard of the company, said that he was just cleaning his .38 revolver service firearm while at the gate inside the company while Gabinete was also manning the forklift that time when a loud gunfire was heard.

It took Alegado a few minutes before he noticed the bloodied Gabinete who was already hit on the head.

Police recovered one empty shell of the .38 revolver and three live ammunitions.

Police Officer 3 Rolando Camillo, Minglanilla police investigator, said they are trying to get witnesses and are conducting further investigation despite Alegado’s admission.

The revolver used by Alegado was submitted to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory at the Camp Sotero Cabahug for ballistics examination as criminal charges are being prepared against him.

Meanwhile, a 31-year-old woman was shot by an unidentified man while inside the house of her live-in partner Thursday evening in Sitio Malayahay, Barangay Lingigon, Argao.

Raquel Magbanwa, married but not legally separated with her husband, was hit on her right leg after a man shot her when she was about to get a glass of water downstairs.

Police said that Raquel was watching her child on the second storey of her live-in partner’s house. A moment later, she decided to go downstairs to get a glass of water without knowing that the man was already monitoring her moves.

She was on the stairs and was surprised upon hearing two gunshots and noticed that she was hit on the leg prompting her to seek help from their neighbors.

She was taken to the Isidro Kintanar Memorial Hospital and was later transferred to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for further treatment.

Prior to the incident, witnesses only saw a man wearing a bonnet outside the house.

Relatives of Raquel said that they could not think of anyone who has a grudge on her except her husband.

Police said they would not discount the said possibility but are also considering other angles.  (FREEMAN)