PNP forms task force to find gunman in child’s stray bullet death
PNP. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
CAOAYAN, Ilocos Sur – Police in Ilocos Sur province formed on Thursday a task force to look for a man, who fired the gun that sent out a bullet that killed a three-month-old Von Alexander Llagas here on New Year’s eve.
As of Thursday, the group headed by Supt. Feliciano Gubatan, deputy operations chief of the Ilocos Sur police, had yet to receive information that would lead them to the gunman.
Senior Insp. Reynaldo Mendoza, Caoayan town police chief, said the slug taken from Llagas’ head had been taken by personnel of the Philippine National Police’s regional crime laboratory in San Fernando City in La Union province so they could determine the type of firearm that killed the baby. The test’s result will be released on Friday, Jan. 3.
Mendoza said the police also made an inventory of licensed gun holders in the victim’s home village of Barangay (village) Anonang Mayor. Their guns, he said, would be inspected and subjected to ballistic examination.
He said the police were expecting a PNP technician who would determine the bullet’s trajectory and plot the possible location of the gunman when he fired his gun at 11:50 p.m. on Dec. 31.
Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Luis Singson on Wednesday offered a P250,000 reward for people who could offer information that would help solve the case.
Valeriano Llagas, the boy’s father, said he was looking forward to celebrate his birthday (Friday, Jan. 3) with his family but the tragedy struck.
He said it would have been the first time he would celebrate his birthday with Von, the youngest of his four children.
“I am hoping that this case would soon be solved to ease our sadness and pain a bit,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Valeriano, a foreman in a construction firm in Bataan province, said the recent holiday break was only the second time that he had spent with Von since he only went home to Ilocos Sur every quarter.
He said he was left to take care of their four children at home earlier on Dec. 31 as his wife, Vanessa, a laundrywoman, had to work that day.
“We were home the whole day, playing with my children, as we await the New Year’s eve celebration,” he said.
Von was hit by the stray bullet in the head as he was sleeping beside his father before midnight struck.
Vanessa said she could not bear Von’s loss. “Kinuha nila ang angel namin (They took our angel away),” she said.
In Pangasinan province, the provincial health office said the number of firecracker-related injuries had almost doubled from Wednesday to Thursday as reports started trickling in after the New Year revelry.
Dr. Anna Ma. Teresa de Guzman, provincial health officer, said from only 63 on Wednesday, the number of those injured had increased to 123.
Most of the victims were treated at the Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan City, Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City and at the Lingayen District Hospital in Lingayen town.
But De Guzman said the number was still less than the 149 cases recorded in 2012. She said most of the victims were children, aged 10 to 14.
In Central Luzon, police said the number of firecracker blast victims in the region reached 151 on Jan. 1. The figure was higher by nine as compared to that in 2012. Bulacan province recorded the highest with 40 people hurt.
With reports from Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon, and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon
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