BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine National Police is investigating two reported incidents of illegal discharge of firearms on New Year’s Eve in the cities of Bacolod and Talisay in Negros Occidental.
P/Lt. Abegael Donasco, deputy spokesperson of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said yesterday that the alleged involvement of a police non-commissioned officer in the reported illegal discharge of firearm in Talisay City is still under investigation.
Donasco said the concerned police officer is still rendering duty, pending the result of the probe.
The allegation of indiscriminate firing remains to be proven, she said, adding that no empty shell had been recovered, as of this time.
Maj. Jigger Gimeno, Talisay City police chief, said yesterday that, based on their investigations, the complainant and the policeman have an unsettled old grudge.
Gimeno called on the police officer to surrender his gun and submit himself to a paraffin test to prove his claim that he did not fire a gun.
Lt. Col. Ariel Pico, spokesperson of the Bacolod City Police Office, said they are also investigating the reported illegal discharge of firearm on Dec. 31 in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City.
A slug of a still undetermined caliber of firearm has been endorsed to the police. Meanwhile, Pico said they did not record any firecracker-related incident in Bacolod, while Donasco reported that there were five victims of firecracker explosions in Cauayan and Bago City.*
