Police believe there’s more to Taguig killings than unpaid water bills

MANILA, Philippines—Police are hunting a retired soldier who went into hiding after allegedly shooting dead three men on New Year’s Eve in Taguig City.

According to the police, Diosdado Baltan, described as a retired Philippine Army soldier, gunned down Tyrol Mortos, Enrique Goco, and Ronald Mabonga, over a water connection dispute Tuesday morning in Palar Village, Barangay Pinagsama.

The shooting broke out at Baltan’s home on Mt. Apo Street around 8:45 a.m., when the victims, all employees of the Inner Port Water distributor, were about to cut Baltan’s water connection due to unpaid bills, according to reports reaching the southern metro police.

But Southern Police District  director Chief Superintendent Jose Erwin Villacorte told the Inquirer that investigators were eyeing another dimension to the dispute that led to the crime.

According to the police director, the fatalities were workers sent by one Rey Acas, a former boyfriend of Baltan’s current live-in partner. “The person who used to live in that apartment was Acas and his live-in partner for 20 years,” Villacorte said in a phone interview.

But when Acas and his partner separated, Acas moved out while Baltan moved in. Villacorte said that Acas continued to act as “overseer” of the apartment, “but he would send out workers as supervisors.”

Villacorte said Acas’ workers had been repeatedly returning to the apartment to demand payment of bills, but Baltan and his live-in partner kept refusing to pay up. Villacorte noted Baltan’s bullishness could have been because of his live-in partner’s history with Acas.

Taguig police investigation section head Chief Inspector  Benito Basilio said they will be filing three counts of murder against Baltan. Asked if there was any premeditation in the shooting, Basilio reported witnesses as saying Baltan had “argued with the workers outside the house, and then went back inside to get his gun just to shoot them.”

Baltan’s live-in partner, whom Basilio declined to identify by name, has been brought in for questioning.