Homicide raps vs US, Pinoy soldiers junked

A criminal complaint filed against Filipino and American soldiers over the death of two Cebuano boys in an explosion at a firing range used in a joint military exercise in Toledo City in August last year, was dismissed after the victims’ families lost interest in pursuing the case.

The Visiting Forces Agreement Commission said prosecutor Gabriel Trocio Jr. dropped the complaint for double homicide with physical injuries through negligence, stemming from the deaths of Rolly Navales and Arnelo Gaviola and the wounding of a third boy, Jordan Villarmea.

The blast occurred at the Atlas Mining firing range in Toledo City, after the boys tinkered with a empty shell they found at the site.

Trocio said the case would be a futile exercise and grossly unfair to the Filipino and American soldiers, saying there was no way to find out who fired the ammunition the victims found.

The commission initially wanted to hold participants to the military exercise responsible for the incident. — Aurea Calica