TABUK CITY, Kalinga – A 52-year old barangay tanod and a 36-year old government worker are now confined in two separate hospitals after their involvement in a shooting, mauling and hacking incident during a wedding reception at San Pascual, Magsaysay here at around 9:30 pm Sunday.
Senior Superintendent George Daskeo, provincial director of the Kalinga Provincial Police Office, ident6ified the wounded individuals as Patricio Alunday Palas, 52, married, barangay tanod and Pierre Mennao Galicia, 36, married, government employee and both residents of barangay Magasyasy, Tabuk City, Kalinga.
Initial police investigation showed the suspect and t6he wedding attended a wedding reception in their place when a commotion suddenly erupted which prompted Galicia to draw his firearm and fir the same that accidentally hit Palas on the stomach.
Relatives of the victim then grabbed the suspect, mauled and hacked him until cooler heads were able to prevail on them.
Palas was rushed to the Almora General Hospital while Galicia was brought to the Kalinga Provincial Police Office for medical treatment.
Responding police operatives recovered from the crime scene a spent shell of a still undisclosed firearm which is now the subject of appropriate tests.
The case is still subject to further investigation by the police authorities.
By Dexter A. See