Army sergeant strafes men; 1 killed, 4 hurt

ILOILO CITY – A militiaman was killed while four others were wounded when an Army sergeant opened fire at his men in Maasin, Iloilo yesterday morning.

Authorities are eyeing exhaustion and lack of sleep as the reason why S/Sgt. Alvin Estorco, chief of an Army detachment in Barangay Panalian, opened fire at his men who were members of a government militia.

Albert Magarse, 28, was declared dead on arrival at the Ramon Tania Memorial District Hospital in nearby Cabatuan town.

He suffered gunshot wounds in the back and abdomen, according to Senior Inspector Felix Alianza Jr., Maasin police chief.

Taken to the same hospital for treatment were Magarse’s brother Aljohn, 24; their cousin and uncle Michael and Juan, respectively, and George Calubayan, 45.

Aljohn suffered a gunshot wound in the leg, Michael in the leg and thigh, and Juan in the back. George was hit in the side of the body.

Alianza said that prior to the shooting, Estorco and 17 personnel of the CAFGU Active Auxillary (CAA) secured a community program in nearby Barangay Ubian, which celebrated a fiesta.

The group was on its way back to the detachment when Estorco reportedly took his rifle and shot the militiamen.

Rene Maderable, one of those who survived the shooting, said there was no reason for Estorco to shoot them.

Maderable was among those who brought his colleagues to the hospital.

The wounded victims were transferred to the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

Some militiamen disarmed Estorco and hid him in the detachment’s armory for fear that he might be harmed by the families of the victims.

Estorco arrived at the police station at noon to explain the incident.

He claimed he saw a band of rebels about to attack them.