TUBA, Benguet – A 17-year old teenager died while his porter companion was injured after they were allegedly salvaged by their colleagues in a pot session at sitio Bawek, Taloy Sur, here, Tuesday dawn.
Chief Inspector Jim Hilario, chief of the Tuba Municipal Police Station, identified the fatality as Kyla Quinto, 17, single while her injured companion was named as a certain Ariel Ander Oligario, 27, single, porter, native of Dagupan City, Pangasinan and both residents of Hangar, Hilltop Road, Baguio City.
Initial police investigation showed Kayla and Ariel, together with a certain Michael from New Lucban and Sibon from Pacdal and other still unidentified male companions, allegedly came from a pot session in Pacdal, Baguio City and they all boarded a taxi driven by a still unidentified companion during the said pot session.
The group eventually decided to travel to La Union with Kyla and Ariel seated beside each other while Sibon and a still unidentified male person were seated with them at the back seat while Michael was seated in front of the vehicle beside the still unidentified driver.
Upon reaching sitio Bawek, the driver allegedly stopped the vehicle on the road shoulder, and suddenly, the male person seated beside Kyla went out of the vehicle and unexpectedly pulled her outside and then fired at her on her back several times using a still undetermined type of firearm.
Sensing danger, Ariel immediately jumped off the vehicle to scamper for safety but the gunman fired at him several times hitting him on his leg and right hand but he was able to hide behind a parked bus and then sought assistance from the driver of a garage van that passed by.
Responding police operatives and elements of the Scene of the Crime Operation (SOCO) team recovered the lifeless body of Kyla in the crime scene which sustained a lone gunshot wound on her back that exited on her left breast.
Recovered from the crime scene were two pairs of sandals, one piece of right foot slipper, three spent shells of a caliber .9mm pistol and four live ammunitions from the similar firearm.
It was learned that Kyla is an alleged drug surrenderer of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Station No. 7 while Ariel was still being convinced by his father to surrender to the police.
The motive of the alleged attempted salvage of the two individuals who are reportedly involved in illegal drugs, has yet to be established by the probers.
By Dexter A. See
