Stray bullet kills sleeping infant in Ilocos Sur
MANILA, Philippines - A three-month-old baby died while a two-year-old boy was critically wounded after being hit by stray bullets during the New Year’s Eve revelry in the Ilocos region, police said yesterday.
Von Alexander Llangas was sleeping beside his father inside their home in Barangay Anonang, Caoayan town, Ilocos Sur when he started crying, said Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor.
His parents found him bloodied and rushed him to the Gabriela Silang Hospital where he succumbed to a gunshot wound in his head.
“They heard the baby crying so the mother checked on him as she thought he was awakened by the loud firecrackers. However, she was shocked to see blood oozing from his head,†Mayor said.
Rhanz Angelo Corpuz, on the other hand, is still fighting for his life at the Laoag City General Hospital.
Investigators said the child was hit by a bullet on his forehead while sleeping inside their house in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte hours before the New Year.
Police have yet to identify the suspects in the shooting incidents.
Statistics
In Metro Manila, 12 people were hit by stray bullets at the height of celebrations to welcome the New Year, with no deaths.
Police said the 26 incidents of stray bullet-related injuries during the 2014 New Year revelry nationwide was lower than the 40 cases recorded in 2013, including the death of seven-year-old Stephanie Nicole Ella, whose case remains unsolved.
Ella and her family were watching fireworks in Caloocan City when a bullet hit her in the head.
Mayor said a police unit would be formed to solve the killing of Llangas.
“The PNP chief has ordered all police units nationwide to intensify the investigation of all stray bullet-related injuries and come up with a dedicated unit which will work on these cases,†he said.
Despite the initial number of casualties, National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Carmelo Valmoria said their security operations for the Christmas and New Year holidays were successful.
Valmoria ordered his five district directors to investigate the cases of indiscriminate firing in the metropolis and send the violators to jail.
He said his men responded to the firing of handguns in Taguig City but the incident was triggered by a traffic row.
In Candelaria, Quezon, a hospital utility worker was hit by a stray bullet shortly after midnight yesterday.
Raul Alday, 43, was taken to the municipal hospital where he will undergo operation for a slug that is still stuck in his jaw, said town police chief Superintendent Francisco Ebreo.
Police said Alday was eating with his family inside their house at 12:10 a.m. when a stray bullet hit him.
Indiscriminate firing
Three policemen were arrested for indiscriminately firing their firearms during the New Year revelry.
They were Chief Inspector Ricardo Argullo, officer-in-charge of the Tinambak police station in Camarines Sur; PO3 Alexander de los Reyes of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Unit, and PO1 Ryan Gapayao of the Public Safety Battalion in Region 13.
De los Reyes fired his service firearm in Southern Leyte, police said.
The three have been disarmed.
They are facing administrative cases that could lead to their dismissal from the service, the PNP spokesman said.
PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima had earlier warned the 148,000 policemen nationwide not to indiscriminately fire their guns during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. – With Raymund Catindig, Non Alquitran, Michelle Zoleta, Teddy Molina
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