Abra dad shoots police officer during dance

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, Philippines – An ex-officio councilor in Baay-Licuan town in Abra shot and wounded a police official during a dance Thursday night.

The suspect, Joseph Sales Daguio, 66, chairman of Barangay Tumalip and president of the Association of Barangay Councils in Baay-Licuan, was arrested after shooting SPO4 Nelson Espiritu Venus, 44, the town’s deputy police station commander.

Abra police director Senior Superintendent Benjamin Lusad, Abra police director, said two others – Catalino Gandeza Gaboy, 46, municipal administrative officer 3, and Gerardo Molina Bernal, 38, a councilman of Barangay Duminglay – were also hurt during the ensuing melee at the town’s multi-purpose hall where the gathering was held.

Lusad said Venus invited municipal accountant Grethel Garcia Sacragun for a dance. Irked, Daguio approached and shot the police officer several times with a .45-caliber pistol.

Gaboy was hit in the armpit when he tried to pacify Daguio, while Bernal had a bullet wound in the left leg.

A police officer was able to grab Daguio’s gun and arrested him.

All the victims were brought to the Seares Memorial Hospital but Venus and Gaboy were later transferred to the Abra Provincial Hospital. 

Four .45-caliber cartridges were found at the scene.