A member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) is facing two counts each of murder and attempted murder charges for the shooting in Negros Occidental’s Moises Padilla town on Tuesday, January 2.

“We are filing a case for two counts of murder before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor. It will be attempted murder in the case of two females hit by stray bullets,” Major Jovito Bose, town police chief, said in an interview yesterday.

A police report said Donan Sosia, 32 years old, a member of the government militia under the 32nd Negros Occidental CAFGU Active Auxiliary Delta Company of the Philippine Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion, shot and killed Godofredo Templatura, 70 years old, and his son John Albert, 32 years old, around 4:30 p.m.

Sosia was responding to a call for assistance from Montilla village chief Nenita Alconera to pacify a commotion between the younger Templatura and his neighbor Alvin Abaño in Purok Sab-a.

Sosia, armed with an M-16 rifle, approached Templatura, who drew a bolo, prompting the former to fire at him twice.

When the victim’s father came in between them, Sosia also shot him.

Marites Rafol, 49 years old, and Jeisel Abaño, 34 years old, were hit by stray bullets.

Sosia is now detained at the Moises Padilla Municipal Police Station.

In an interview, Sosia alleged that he was acting in self-defense when the younger Templatura tried to attack him with a bolo. (PNA)