Army soldier goes berserk when reminded of duty, kills superior inside Zamboanga City camp

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur –– An Army enlisted personnel went amok Tuesday night, Jan. 5, inside their camp here, and killed his immediate superior.

Major Edwin Duco, spokesperson of the Zamboanga Peninsula regional police, said an investigation showed that the suspect, Private First Class Herbert Antonio, was overcome with anger against the victim, Technical Sergeant Joseph Cutaran, who called him out for failing to attend to his duties.

Both belonged to the Army’s 54th Engineering Brigade stationed in the village Cabatangan.

The reprimand irked Antonio, who immediately pulled out his gun and shot the victim twice in the head, killing Cutaran instantly, Duco said.

After the shooting, Antonio fled the camp.

Police investigators found two empty shells believed to be from a caliber 9mm pistol at the crime scene.

Captain Albin Cabayacruz, commander of the Santa Maria police station, said Antonio was assigned to look after the camp’s elevated water tank.

On Tuesday night, Cutaran found that an allegedly drunk Antonio was at his barracks, while the tank he was supposed to watch was already full, and that water was flowing over, Cabayacruz said.

Police have launched a manhunt for Antonio, who is a resident of Talon-Talon village.

LZB