BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan ordered the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) to fastrack the investigation on the circumstances that led to the untimely death of a trusted and responsible maintenance crew of the City Engineering Office, who was allegedly hit by a stray bullet during a shootout between anti-drug operatives and their high value target along Military Cut-off road, Tuesday afternoon.
The local chief executive expressed the heartfelt condolences of city officials and employees to the bereaved family and relatives of the said employee who had rendered 36 years of his life in service to the people of the city.
“We will surely extend the appropriate assistance to the bereaved family of the victim of the unfortunate incident that resulted in the untimely death of one of the trusted maintenance crew of the City Engineering Office. We need to look into the circumstances of the incident so that we will be able to ascertain those responsible for his death to make them answer for their actions,” Domogan stressed.
Domogan claimed it is unfortunate that an innocent civilian was caught in the crossfire during a shootout that transpired between the anti-narcotics operatives and their high value target.
Miguel Delinela, 57, married, a maintenance crew of the City Engineering Office and a resident of City Camp, Baguio City, together with his co-employees, was seated at the back of the government vehicle after coming from Mines View where they had an inspection of the streetlighting fixtures in the area and were reported en route to their office.
Upon reaching the Military Cut-off rotunda, their vehicle stopped after noticing that a firefight was going on between the police operating troops and their supposed high value target.
However, the victim’s companions did not know that he was already hit by a stray bullet on his forehead and their vehicle proceeded to their office in City Camp.
One of his co-employees opened the rear door of their vehicle to allow the victim to go out but he was surprised to see him already bloodied.
Delinela was rushed then to the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) but later expired while under treatment because of a lone gunshot wound that hit his forehead and exited on the back of his head.
The operating troops were able to arrest their high value target, Michael Canara, 38 a resident of Honeymoon road and his 20-year old girlfriend, during a brief chase along the Loakan road and confiscated over a dozen sachets of shabu and several sachets of dried marijuana leaves.
The arrested high value target and his girlfriend, who is a resident of DPS Compound, and the confiscated pieces of evidence were brought to the Baguio City Police Office headquarters for documentation and the subsequent filing of the appropriate charges before the city prosecutor’s office.
By Dexter A. See