Life term for man who shot tanod

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Trial Court has sentenced a man to suffer 25 years in prison for shooting a barangay tanod at the Unit 2 of the Carbon Public Market last May 28, 2006.

RTC Branch 18 Judge Gilbert Moises ordered the respondent to pay P75,000 to the family of the victim for civil indemnity and another P75,000 for the moral and intemperate damages he caused.

Junie Domingo and Camilo Vigas were arrested in connection with the shooting to death of a barangay tanod named Raul Alfeche on May 28, 2006 using a .38 caliber gun.

Vigas was cleared of the charge for lack of enough evidence to include him in the crime.

The two eyewitnesses said that Domingo was the triggerman and that Vigas was implicated because he was allegedly with Domingo at the time of the shooting.

Pablo Sumalinog, 45 years old, said that he was at the second floor of the 3rd Unit of the Carbon Market where he played mahjong with the victim. After the game, Alfeche went home. But while he was preparing for his cart, he heard a burst of gunfire.

In his testimony, Sumalinog said that he saw Domingo pull out a gun from his back and pointed at the nape of Alfeche and fired. Domingo fled after the incident along with one “Pedro Vigas” who was later identified as Camilo Vigas. Sumalinog added he was 10 meters away from where the incident happened.

Vigas in his testimony denied having taken part of the killing saying that he was at the second floor of the market also, tending a video carrera machine where he was in-charge of.

Vigas said that Domingo was there with two other companions, also playing video carrera. At around 5 p.m., he heard the gunfire and he went out to verify. It was then that he saw Domingo holding a firearm.

Vigas said that he saw Alfeche already slumped on the floor bathed in blood. It was then that he called the police and told them that somebody was shot. The next day he was arrested by policemen and barangay tanods but he refused to divulge what he saw because he was afraid of being arrested because of the video carrera machine knowing that operation of such is considered illegal.

Domingo in his testimony said that on May 28, 2006, he was with Vigas. Domingo mentioned of a prior confrontation with Alfeche when he was not able to pay his rentals for a bamboo bed.

The victim allegedly boxed him instead. Domingo admitted shooting Alfeche because of that.

Moises, in his decision, said that after a careful and thorough evaluation of the evidence, he was convinced that it was Domingo who shot and killed Alfeche.

“The two witnesses were categorical in their assertion that it was Domingo who shot the victim from behind at close range, thus an element of treachery to prove also his guilt.” — Jasmin U. Labaco/MEEV    (FREEMAN NEWS)