3 killed in Abra shooting rampage

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - A shooting rampage In Dolores, Abra left a former vice mayor of that town, his cop-brother and a bodyguard of the incumbent town mayor killed Friday night, in what witnesses said was prompted simply by an altercation over a dice game at a wake.

Cordillera police said one of its own, PO3 Dindo Guzman, 45, assigned at the police station in Bangued, Abra’s capital; his elder brother – former Dolores Vice Mayor Dante Guzman, 53 and Jun Cabanaoan, a bodyguard of incumbent town mayor Roberto Seares, Jr. were killed in an apparent shooting at around 11:20 p.m. at a wake in Sitio Balneg, Barangay Poblacion.

Also hurt was businessman Christopher Tordil, 40 and Abra Electric Cooperative employee Cesar Zapata, 34.

Cordillera police director Chief Supt. Benjamin Magalong said the former vice mayor had a heated spat with a certain Christian Jay Cortez alias 'Immong' while playing a dice game locally called 'dado' at the wake.

Cortez reportedly hurriedly left the gambling table but the Guzman brothers followed him. Moments later, a gunfight broke out involving the Guzmans and Cabanaoan, Cortez and other male persons.

PO3 Guzman, his brother Dante, Tordil and Zapata reportedly sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to Abra Provincial Hospital for medical treatment, but the Guzman brothers did not make it. 

Probers found at least 18 fired cartridges of cal 9mm;  13 fired cartridges of .45 caliber pistol; one slug fragment of unknown caliber; a deformed slug; a live ammunition for .45 caliber; another live ammunition for cal 9mm; two copper jacket fragments and one black holster.

Cortez, Magalong said, voluntarily surrendered to Abra police director Sr. Supt. Benjamin Lusad while Jeffrey Borgonia and other suspects are being hunted.

Seares said Cabanaoan was the aggressor in the incident.

The town executive who said all of those involved in the shooting rampage were reportedly drunk will push town officials to ban gambling during wakes.