Man boards boat w/ gun, kills 2 upon arriving Bohol

TAGBILARAN CITY , Philippines   â€” A retired sergeant of the military took advantage of the lenient security check in the port of Bato town in Leyte by sneaking a gun upon boarding a boat for Bohol and using it in shooting two fellow passengers dead at the Ubay town pier last Wednesday noon.

Police identified the assailant as Cornelio Esteroza, 56, a retired military man with the rank of staff sergeant and a resident of Barangay San Vicente in Mahaplag, Leyte. He was also killed when he tried to attack the responding policemen.

Reports said that, when the boat had just docked, Esteroza reportedly told his brother, who was escorting him to Bohol, that he would just go somewhere in the boat to check on something.

Shortly after, it was learned that Esteroza shot his first victim, identified as Jun-Jun Calonia, single and a native of Valencia town in Bohol, who came home to attend a fiesta celebration.

Police said Calonia had already disembarked when Esteroza, who was still at the ramp of the boat, shot the victim at the back. The latter was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician at the Don Emilio Del Valle Memorial Hospital (DEDVMH).

Another passenger, identified as 42-year-old Antonio Espeña, also from Leyte, was also hit in left cheek by a stray bullet when Esteroza shot Calonia.

Espeña was rushed also to the same hospital, but was later moved to the Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in the city. He fell into a comatose at the ICU and died the following day.

Espeña who was with his wife and their 7-year-old child, was supposed to attend a reunion with relatives in Anda town of Bohol, after being separated for 12 years.

Policemen of the Ubay Station got a call from the Mayor's Office at around 11:40 a.m. on Wednesday about a shooting incident at the town's port area.

Responding policemen, led by SPO1 Willie Sarabosing, saw Esteroza standing beside a lamppost holding his gun and daring them to go closer. When they approached him, the suspect fired at least four times at them, prompting the latter to fire back.

Esteroza was hit, fell and was rushed to the DEDVM Hospital where he died later.

Recovered from the slain suspect was a Taurus pistol (SN NFP75756) and an empty magazine, said the authorities.

The Freeman gathered that the port in Bato, Leyte-where the boat that the suspect and his victims boarded on their way to Bohol-had no metal detectors and other measures to intercept anyone with a deadly weapon.

Ubay Police chief George Paña said that, even in Ubay and in other ports in Bohol, except in Tagbilaran City and Jagna town, there is no metal detector or an x-ray machine to detect any prohibited items on board.

"What is done now is intensify police visibility and watch for any suspicious individuals and ask them to allow their bags to be inspected," said Paña, adding that it is best for all terminals or ports to have metal detectors or x-ray machines to make sure no guns could be sneaked in by passengers.  (FREEMAN)