COTABATO CITY – Two soldiers were killed and five were wounded, including two senior officers, when an Army sergeant indiscriminately fired his assault rifle toward the victims inside a military headquarters Friday, the military here said Saturday.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Ponce, spokesperson of the 6th Infantry Division, said elements of the Mechanized Infantry Company had just arrived inside Camp Iranun, the headquarters of the 603rd Infantry Brigade in Maguindanao, when TSgt. Policarpio Dela Cruz suddenly fired his M-16 Armalite rifle at about 4:30 p.m.

Killed due to multiple gunshot wounds were Sgt. Bernardo de Guzman and Pfc. Christopher Pagatpatan.

Wounded were Lt. Col. Aniceto Vicente, Maj. Fe Rea, 2nd Lt. Grace Sumalbang, Sgt. Ronaldo Sarazza and Cpl. Dennis Bergante.

Ponce said the victims were caught by surprise but other soldiers responded by shooting dela Cruz.

Dela Cruz was critically wounded and is being treated at a local hospital.

Ponce said other soldiers in the command post told investigators that they noticed dela Cruz showing abnormal behavior before the incident.

“Nobody from among the soldiers ever thought that dela Cruz would go berserk and fire at his comrades, everybody was surprised,” Ponce said, adding that investigation was still going on.

Vicente’s group was visiting the camp for a regular inspection when the incident happened, he said. Edwin O. Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao