One-armed man shoots solon’s ally

A one-armed gunman shot a staunch supporter of Parañaque City Rep. Eduardo Zialcita Thursday afternoon right inside the victim’s home in the city.

Victim, Manuel "Manolet" Garcia, 52, was speaking on the telephone with the congressman’s chief of staff, Jojo Alejar, when he was attacked.

Alejar told The STAR he heard three to five gunshots and the word "Putol."

Suspect "Ernie Putol," whose right arm is amputated up the elbow, and his two cohorts are now the subject of a police manhunt.

Police arrested June Saltiga, 35, a consultant in Garcia’s Maxi Security Agency, who accompanied the gunman to the victim’s house.

Case investigator, Senior Police Officer 2 Bert Parena, said Garcia suspected that the attack on him could be related for his refusal to collect toll fees from motorists using the Kaingin Road, a public road, as ordered by the Multinational Village Homeowners’ Association.

Garcia’s agency has been providing security for the upscale subdivision for the last three months, until his contract was recently terminated supposedly because of his refusal to follow the association.

Garcia was reportedly set to bring the matter to court.

Zialcita is also opposed to the toll collection and has filed a case against security personnel who collected a fee from him for the use of Kaingin Road in November last year.

Alejar said the city council has already said that Kaingin Road is a public road, thus the homeowners’ association cannot collect toll fees from motorists.

The association charges P20 each for tricycles and private vehicles and P1,000 for a sticker, Alejar said.

Garcia was shot in the master’s bedroom of his home on 5 Pisces street, Phase 3, Moonwalk Village, at around 2 p.m.

Saltiga, his brother Ricky, and another man named Cesar Mila alias Fred, supposedly accompanied Putol to Garcia’s house to ask for a bag of rice. Garcia was known to extend help to indigents in the area, Parena said.

Putol went inside the victim’s house after Saltiga spoke with Garcia for about 15 minutes.

Saltiga, his brother, and Fred supposedly disarmed security guard Bernie Abarro of his .9mm service firearm and prevented him from following Putol inside.

Minutes later, gunshots were heard and Putol came rushing out of the house, holding a caliber .38 pistol.

Abarro freed himself, ran inside the house and found the bleeding Garcia who sustained gunshot wounds in the left shoulder, middle finger, right thigh and leg.

Saltiga followed inside holding the guard’s service firearm and said the three other men have escaped. Parena said Saltiga has yet to give his statement to the police.

The suspect will be charged with frustrated murder, Parena added. Saltiga is now detained at the police headquarters. – Nikko Dizon