Gunman misses target, nabbed in Malabon

A jobless man was arrested after trying to kill a neighbor, who was taking a bath in a makeshift bathroom in front of his house, late Friday afternoon in Malabon City.

PO2 Benjamin Megio, officer-on-case, said complainant and would-be victim Allan Se, 21, single, house painter, of Sitio 6, Catmon, Malabon City, escaped with his life after the botched slay try.

The gunman, Ronald Arombo, 21, single, of Sitio 6, Catmon, Malabon City was arrested after a brief chase in the rooftops by PO1s John Benitez and Ricardo Baniqued, both of Police Community Precinct 4 in Barangay Tugatog for attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm.

Recovered from the crime scene were an Armscor caliber .38 revolver, apparently unlicensed, two empty shells and four live bullets for the same gun.

Megio said Arombo has been detained pending the filing of the charges before the City Prosecutor’s Office.

Records showed Se was taking a bath at around 5:15 p.m. Friday in the vacant lot fronting his house in Sitio 6, Catmon when Arombo attacked.

Megio said Arombo, flushed with anger over an unspecified grudge against Se, drew a gun, poked it at Se, who stood petrified, and fired twice at pointblank range.

Probers said Arombo either used a defective firearm or he needed more time to hone his shooting skills at the firing range because the suspect failed to hit his target, so close and unmoving at that.

Se, still naked, recovered and scampered for his life. He ran for cover and out of harm’s way even as Arombo wondered what went wrong.

Benitez and Baniqued, who were then on patrol, heard the gunshots and quickly ran to the scene. The alerted cops then saw Arombo running away still clutching a drawn gun and a chase soon followed.

Determined to escape from the pursuing lawmen, Arombo jumped from roof to roof of the shanty houses in the neighborhood until he was cornered. Realizing the futility of his act, he surrendered to the arresting cops.