4 hurt in MRT ‘shooting accident’

MANILA, Philippines — Four persons were injured when a security guard “accidentally discharged” his firearm Thursday morning at a Metro Rail Transit 3 station in Quezon City, MRT3 officials told INQUIRER.net.

Bernardo Alejandro III, officer-in-charge of the MRT3 Safety and Security Office, said over a phone interview that Cecillo Belleca, a security guard who was on duty at the MRT 3 GMA-Kamuning Station “accidentally shot another guard, Lordeim Abellar, and injured three passengers at around
9:30 a.m.”

MRT 3 passengers Rommel Paloño, Mary Ann Orosco and Gaspar Malanday also suffered minor injuries but only realized that they had been hit after they got on the train, Alejandro said.

Paloño and Orosco were rushed to the Pasay General Hospital and are in stable condition, he added.

“Malanday was treated by our nurse, who was on duty at the Magallanes Station,” Alejandro stated, adding that “they only alerted [our personnel] that they were hurt at Magallanes Station.”

“Belleca has been taken into custody by the Quezon City Police District [QCPD] and was detained at precinct 10,” Alejandro told INQUIRER.net.

An investigation into the shooting incident will be conducted, MRT 3 Director for Operations Renato San Jose said.