Accidental firing kills guard

CEBU, Philippines - A security guard at a shipyard in Barangay Tayud, Consolacion died after accidentally being shot with an improvised shotgun which he was holding.

Edison Dura, a resident of Lapu-Lapu City and a security guard at Nagasaka Shipyard, was declared dead on arrival at Mandaue City District Hospital.

Initial investigation revealed that before the incident, Dura and a welder of the said shipyard named Eduardo dela Rosa were just having a conversation. Dura then called his co-worker Eddie Dumulong to join them.

When Dumulong was about to approach the two, dela Rosa and Dumulong then heard a sudden gunshot from Dura’s side.

It was not too long before they realized that it was Dura’s improvised shotgun or “pugakhang” that had accidentally gone off.

Senior Police Officer 3 Renerio Patillas of Consolacion Police Station believed that the victim must have not endured the injury from the accident.

Dura was hit in the right shoulder, he said.

“Kana man gung pugakhang, improvised man gud na siya nga firearm. Hinimo na gikan sa tubo pero gikan gyud sa shotgun ang bala ana. Mao na nga grabe gyud na siya og makaigo na sa lawas sa tawo,” Patillas said.

The witnesses were invited to undergo paraffin test to make sure that no foul play was involved in the incident. There was no result yet as of press time. — Ma. Fatima R. Secuya (FREEMAN)