Tanod's daughter hurt in gun accident

CEBU, Philippines - A barangay tanod voluntarily surrendered to the Carcar police after his 15-year-old daughter was accidentally shot when his gun fell on the floor inside their house in Barangay Liboron, Carcar City Thursday morning.

This is the second time that a barangay tanod's gun accidentally caused injury after another tanod from Barangay Santo Niño in Cebu City accidentally shot himself last Nov. 1 inside the barangay hall.

Rogelio Amistad, 47, surrendered right after the incident but was not detained because his family refused to file charges against him.

The victim Hannah Mae Amistad was immediately rushed to the Carcar District Hospital and later transferred to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for further treatment.

Police said they could file charges for illegal possession of firearms against Amistad but they failed to recover his unlicensed .38 revolver after it was allegedly thrown away by his wife who got angry over the incident.

SPO2 Reynaldo Fuentes, Carcar police investigator, said that Rogelio had just arrived from work early morning that day when he put his revolver above the cabinet inside their room where his daughter was.

Rogelio allegedly opened the door which hit the cabinet, causing the pistol to fall to the floor. It then went off and hit Hannah on her left leg.

Upon knowing what happened, Rogelio’s wife allegedly took the revolver and threw it away.

“Ebidensiya unta to ang armas kung diha pa pero gilabay na man kuno sa asawa,” Fuentes said.

Despite reports that it was thrown away by the tanod’s wife, Liboron barangay captain Alberto Lawas called the attention of Rogelio to surrender his revolver if ever he is keeping it.

Meanwhile, in Barangay Poblacion, Toledo City, a 22-year-old man was shot by one of the four unidentified men who tried to rob him yesterday dawn.

Victim Rixon Cabintoy, of Sitio Lawis, Barangay Luray II sustained a lone gunshot wound on his abdomen after he allegedly tried to resist the robbers who asked for his cellular phone.

Rixon was with his two siblings, Rexel, 21 and Michael, 18, watching a band concert at the gymnasium in Barangay Poblacion. They were about to go home when they were approached by four men who demanded for their cellular phones.

Police said that Rixon tried to drag his two siblings away from the robbers and refused to hand over his cellular phone which prompted one of the robbers to shoot him.

Rixon said he heard four gun bursts but was only hit once before the robbers fled on foot.

He was then rushed to the Toledo City Hospital and later transferred to a hospital in Cebu City.

Police said no evidence was recovered on the scene.  (FREEMAN)