3 soldiers face raps for P’sinan shooting

BINALONAN, Pangasinan, Philippines - – Police here were set to file charges of frustrated murder and obstruction of justice yesterday against three Army soldiers who were arrested after one of them reportedly fired his gun and hit a tricycle driver on Christmas Eve.

Chief Inspector June Galingan, acting Binalonan police chief, identified the three soldiers as Cpl. Ryan Buenaobra, 31, and S/Sgts. Rommel Pelovello and Freddie Gososo, both 36, all security officers of Lt. Col. Mary Christine Martinez of the Armed Forces’ 3rd Finance Service Unit at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija.

Martinez was attending a family gathering together with her security officers when the incident happened.

The tricycle driver, Gerald Bautista, 26, is in serious condition in a hospital in Dagupan City.

The soldiers were reportedly having a drinking spree and were singing at the residence of one Bernabe Bautista when a resident went there to request them to lower the volume of the videoke machine.

Apparently irked, one of the three soldiers fired his gun, believed to be an M-16 rifle, hitting Bautista, Galingan said.

Two other suspects, M/Sgt. Jackson Martinez and retired M/Sgt. Wilson Martinez, are still at large.