Melee erupts at Tondo wake

The wife of Central Police District director Chief Superintendent Napoleon Castro and two other relatives suffered bruises after four men, including two former policemen, fired shots in their direction during a melee at a wake in a funeral chapel in Tondo, Manila yesterday morning.

Castro’s wife Elvira, her sister Julieta Salvador-Manalang and one Remelyn Tolentino of Tondo were taken to the Chinese General Hospital for treatment of their injuries. Manalang hit her head on the concrete floor while trying to avoid being hit by bullets.

The CPD chief said the incident happened about 3:30 a.m. at the Dulce Funeral Homes located at J. Abad Santos Avenue corner Dinalupihan street in Tondo. His wife was attending the wake of her mother, Asuncion Salvador, at the second floor of the chapel.

Castro, who had just arrived at CPD headquarters in Camp Karingal, Quezon City immediately rushed back to the chapel after his wife called him about the incident.

The CPD chief said the suspects were identified as Domingo Alagde, reportedly a an AWOL officer; his son Tony Boy Alagde; Ferdie Mariano, another AWOL policeman; and an unidentified male companion.

They were allegedly having a drinking session along a street separating the annex and an old building of the funeral homes.

Castro said the four men were visitors at the wake of Angelina de Luna Alagde, mother of an employee of Manila Councilor Pacifico Laxa.

Manalang’s son Allan got into a heated argument with the four men, who had earlier accosted his uncle Ramil Salvador for driving in the area, apparently disturbing their drinking session.

Allan said he confronted the drunken men but one of them slapped him and later drew his firearm, claiming to be a policeman.

Allan ran to the second floor but the suspects chased him while firing shots. The suspects then allegedly fired at his other relatives and visitors at the wake.

"At this point, several bottles of beer were pelted towards the direction of the suspects who scampered toward their parked vehicles," said Superintendent Rodolfo Llorca, chief of the Western Police District Station 7.

The suspects took off in at least three vehicles, including a Tamaraw FX (PYP-649) and an owner-type jeep.

Castro said crime scene investigators recovered numerous 9 mm shells and slugs from the crime scene. Bottles of brandy were likewise recovered by authorities from a nearby garbage can, he added.

Police are currently hunting down the four men responsible to the incident. Authorities are now checking the status of Alagde and Mariano at PNP headquarters.