Iraq war hero, Malabon exec trade blows, charges

A retired US soldier, who is in the country on vacation, was accused of beating up a drunken neighbor and found himself jailed together with his accuser at the Malabon City police station yesterday.

Chief Inspector Romeo Odrada, Station Investigation and Detective Management Bureau (SIDMB) chief, identified the Iraq war hero as former US Army Specialist 4 Jian Kelly Sibug, 24.

Sibug, a tank driver who received a Purple Heart medal for injuries sustained in a skirmish with Iraqi insurgents in December 2005, is vacationing in the country and temporarily residing with relatives in Barangay Concepcion.

Sibug’s accuser was identified as Isidro Reyes, 35, a member of Malabon’s Public Safety and Traffic Management Office (PSTMO) and Sibug’s neighbor.

Police Officer 2 Damaso Gayatao said trouble broke out Thursday night between the two men during a drinking session among relatives and neighbors that went awry.

Gayatao said Reyes, the first one to go to the police station, charged Sibug and several of his relatives of beating him up and for poking a gun at him.

Sibug, on the other hand, came to the station only yesterday noon to report the incident. He accused Reyes of allegedly entering the house without permission and throwing things around and destroying appliances.

Sibug also alleged that Reyes threatened to kill him and his relatives as they were brought together to the Pagamutang Bayan ng Malabon for treatment of their wounds sustained in the scuffle.

Investigators quoted unnamed witnesses as saying that Reyes was a habitual drinker and always became unruly, creating trouble in the neighborhood, every time he was drunk.

Sibug was initially slapped with charges of grave threats and physical injuries while Reyes was charged with qualified trespassing and malicious mischief.

Odrada told The STAR that the charges and countercharges are now in the hands of the city prosecutors for evaluation.

At presstime, Odrada said Sibug and Reyes will remain in police custody.