Akrho men attack Tau Gamma member at town hall's terrace

The town fiesta of Naga was rocked with a shooting Tuesday night when two members of Alpha Kappa Rho group shot and wounded a member of Tau Gamma Phi right inside the municipal hall building.

The victim, Joel Hermoso, 26 years old and resident of Tina-an relocation site in Naga, suffered gunshot wound in his left breast and more in other parts of his body. He was identified as a member of Tau Gamma.

The alleged assailants were Jay Paner and his brother, Jehzel, who are both residents of South Poblacion, Naga, and were identified as Akrho members. They fled shortly after the shooting but Jehzel was later arrested in his house.

The police also arrested a certain Dennis Caballero, who was allegedly found with a .38 caliber revolver from his possession. He was reportedly a companion of the victim but was far from the latter during the shooting.

Provincial Police director Sr/Supt. Vicente Loot, in a press conference yesterday, said the shooting would not affect the peace pact that leaders of both fraternities signed in his office last month.

Aside from the issue of possible breach of the peace agreement, the matter of security in the municipal hall was raised. Naga police chief Supt. Renato Malazarte said however that it was only an isolated case and the first time that occurred in the town.

Malazarte, who was also at the conference, said the town policemen who were around the area were able to respond immediately to the shooting because the police station is just a hundred meters away from the town hall.

Mayor Valdemar Chiong explained that the town hall lobby has no door and anybody could go in and out of the building as freely as they want, and that there was no policeman or security guard detailed at the entrance.

Chiong said, "we have done our best", citing that policemen were around the area at the time. He said there were even 20 members of the Special Reaction Unit and 16 policemen from the Provincial Police to augment the town police force.

"I would say the security was heavy," said the mayor but said, "Mao lang gyud to; we made plans because the night before the fiesta there were some commotion in the area already; but nalutsan lang gyud sila (polis) adto."

The mayor added, "Di ta kabasol sa polis kay wala man magpabaya and polis, wa lang gyud maato o mabantayan tanan kay daghan man ang tawo kay fiesta man. Bisan pa ug may police visibility, nalutsan ra gyud sila."

Naga Police chief investigator SPO4 George Canomon yesterday told The Freeman that Hermoso was at the terrace in the second floor of the municipal hall building with two companions when the Paner brothers came and suddenly fired at the victim several times with a .38 caliber revolver.

People in the area said they heard nine gunshots first, and shortly after a companion of the wounded Hermoso was seen taking him to the Mendiola Medical Clinic. Hermoso was later transferred to the South General Hospital where he is confined at the intensive care unit.

The suspects fled right after the incident. "Diha ni sila sa second floor kay og didot sa silong nahitabo, daghang mapagan sa ilang engkuwentro kay dunay may indian pana sila," said Canomon.

Canomon recalled that both parties already got into a minor commotion when they met last Sunday evening and they reportedly exchanged threats at the time.

Canomon said Jehzel was arrested in the latter's house during a hot pursuit operation and recovered from him a .38 caliber revolver and an improvised sling shot locally known as "indian pana." He added that a frustrated murder case was filed yesterday afternoon against Jehzel.

Loot told reporters said the incident happened since the peace covenant have just been signed by their leaders, and it could be that their respective members have yet to be informed about it.

The CPPO director witnessed the peace pact signing between the leaders of two warring fraternities last month when they promised to suspend their members who would be involved in any crime. The chapter presidents would also be suspended if they could not discipline their members, said Loot. - Norvie S. Misa