Guard guns down arresting tanod, then commits suicide in Las Piñas

A troubled security guard shot dead a member of the barangay peace force then shot himself rather than be arrested and jailed last Friday night in Las Piñas City.

Senior Police Officer 1 Wilfredo Dalawangbayan, case investigator, said Silvestre Jose, 42, a security officer of Barangay CAA died from bullet wounds in the left side of the body and left side of his head.

Suspect Orestes Prado Jr., 34, a security guard of the Excel Guard Security Agency, and resident of 14 CAA Patola Extension, Las Piñas, was killed after shooting himself in the head.

Dalawangbayan said that at around 8:30 p.m. Prado was engaged in a heated argument with his wife Luzviminda over problems involving their daughter. In a fit of rage, the husband fired his caliber .45 service firearm, prompting neighbors to call the barangay peace force.

Minutes later, three policemen accompanied by four barangay officers knocked on Prado’s door. When the door was opened Prado suddenly opened fire and hit Jose twice.

The police officers scampered and took cover before returning fire. The suspect closed the door, and after a minute, police officers heard a gunshot from inside the house.

Prado’s 11-year-old son told the police that his father shot himself.

The suspect’s wife later told investigators that her husband was temperamental and would often brag that he would never allow himself to be captured alive in case he gets into trouble with the law.

"Magsasama daw siya ng iba sa hukay," police quoted the wife as saying.

Police recovered seven empty shells of a caliber .45 caliber pistol and four from a 9mm from the crime scene.

The remains of the tanod and the guard were taken to the Mesimas Funeral Homes and Dulce Funeral Services, respectively.