3 killed as militiaman runs amuck in Leyte detachment

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte—A member of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit ran amuck Monday afternoon, killing a soldier and a fellow militiaman and wounding another before he was himself gunned down by another militiaman, police said.

Inspector Federico Sanchez, chief of police in the town of Burauen, identified the fatalities as Sgt. Renato Cabarse, acting chief of the Cafgu unit in Anonang village, and Cafgu members Alexander Estrella and Cesar Manidlagan, the amok.

Estrella was killed on the spot but Cabarse died while undergoing treatment at the Burauen District Hospital, Sanchez said.

Manidlagan was shot and killed by another Cafgu member, Genes Cabidog, Sanchez said, adding that still another Cafgu member, Abner Tolibas, was wounded on the right shoulder and taken to a hospital in Tacloban where he was said to be in stable condition.

The victims and the assailant belonged to the 78th Infantry Battalion based in Abuyogon village, Burauen, six kilometers from the Anonang detachment.

Based on their initial investigation, Sanchez said, Manidlagan had attended the birthday celebration of a relative and was under the influence of liquor when he returned to the detachment, 10 kilometers from the Burauen town center, around 4:45 p.m.

Manidlagan proceeded to the barracks, took his service firearm, a Garand rifle, and shot Estrella. He then fired on Cabarse and Tolibas, who were inside the post’s No. 1 foxhole.

Thinking he would be the next victim, Cabidog, who was stationed at post No. 2, shot and killed Manidlagan.

The entire episode lasted less than three minutes, Sanchez said in a phone interview Tuesday.

All the victims were on duty and stationed at their respective posts at the time of the incident, he added.

“We are still conducting our investigation though we can declare the case solved as the suspect is dead. What we are doing right now is to establish the motive of the suspect,” Sanchez said.

Capt. Dranreb Canto, spokesperson of the 802nd Infantry Brigade based in Ormoc City, declined to comment on the incident beyond saying it was unfortunate and that the brigade would conduct its own investigation.