By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A police personnel and two civilians were wounded after they were shot following a commotion at Barangay Alimango in Negros Occidental’s Escalante City on Saturday morning, July 1.

Police Master Sergeant Teofesto Aburido, a member of the city police’s intelligence unit and a resident of Calatrava town; 18-year-old Jeban Sayon, a resident of Alimango; and 34-year-old Jay-r Garganera of Toboso town were wounded, Escalante police chief, Major John Ganzon said. 

Aburido was deployed as a security personnel for the village’s fiesta, he added.

At 2:20 a.m., Aburido and his group were preparing to return home when a fight erupted between two groups of civilians.

The police personnel tried to break up the fight, but a gunman, identified as Romualdo Abarido Jr., allegedly opened fire and hit Aburido and the two civilians.

Aburido sustained gunshot wounds in the abdomen, while the two civilians were hit on the side and the left leg.

They were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, Abarido, a Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit member, was later arrested in a follow-up police operation.

He is facing three counts of frustrated homicide and he is currently detained at the Escalante City police station./DGB, WDJ