Navy man shoots comrade, kills self in Fort Boni

A Navy man killed himself after he shot and wounded a colleague right inside the Bonifacio Naval Station in Taguig City on Monday afternoon.

Supt. Jenny Tecson, spokesperson of the Southern Police District, said that Petty Officer 3 Darwin Galla suffered a gunshot wound in the right side of his body and was taken to the AFP Medical Center in Quezon City where he remains confined.

The man who shot him, Petty Officer 2 Edgar Racraquin Basto, died on the spot after he shot himself in the head.

Senior Supt. Tomas Apolinario, Taguig City police chief, said that based on their initial finding, the two had argued in the past over a missing gun.

“We are still investigating the incident but people there refused to speak further,” he added.

Petty Officer 2 Rolando Nieve who witnessed the shooting told the police that Basto arrived at Building 13 of the naval station’s male transient quarter at around 1 p.m. on Monday.

He was carrying a cal. .45 pistol.

Basto then pointed the gun at another Navy man identified as Ruben Caalim before he shot Galla.

“Galla still managed to jump out of the window and seek assistance from other colleagues who chased the suspect. However, they found Basto dead at the corner of Macopa and Narra Streets at the Bonifacio Naval Station,” Tecson said.

She added that Basto had apparently shot himself as they found slugs from  a .45. cal. pistol at the scene.

The police have yet to talk to Galla as Apolinario said security personnel at the hospital refused to let them in.