Reprimanded for “too loud singing”: 2 soldiers kill 3 in bar fracas

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines —  Two soldiers shot two men and a woman dead, and injured another woman Thursday dawn inside a videoke bar along the highway of Jaro town in Leyte, during a commotion that followed an altercation between the troopers and the bar caretaker.

Police identified the fatalities, who died on the spot, as Andres Cadapan, 60, a retired employee of the Leyte Electric Cooperative, Joselito Sunico—both residents of Jaro—and bar waitress Lea Mae Jamito of Ormoc City. The wounded woman, Maria Fe Pausa, another waitress, was rushed to the nearest hospital and is now out of danger.

Chief Inspector Cesar Navarette, Jaro Police chief, said the two soldiers — Corporal Baltazar Nacion and Private First Class Robert Abrinita — were with an unidentified companion during their drinking spree. The two belonged to the Bravo Company of the 19th Infantry Battalion, based in Carigara, Leyte.

Navarette told The FREEMAN that police investigation showed that Nacion first had a heated argument with the bar caretaker, Alejandro Molabola, who reprimanded the soldiers for singing too loud.

The altercation resulted in a commotion when other customers came to the side of Molabola. The soldiers, allegedly drunken at the time, later fired several shots at the customers and left the scene, said the police report.

Responding policemen of Jaro found Nacion still at the bar, and recovered from the scene 48 empty shells of bullets from an M16 armalite rifle.

Yesterday morning, 1st Lieutenant Nedy Espulgar, commander of the 19th IB’s Bravo Company, surrendered Nacion and Abrinita, and surrendered their firearms, to the Jaro Police.

"They should face the charges, both criminal and administrative, and see if they are liable of the crime. Let’s wait for the court’s verdict,” said Espulgar, adding that his command would never condone criminal acts of his men.

The Jaro Police, led by Navarette, formally charged the two soldiers, who were detained at the police lock-up cell after an inquisition at the Leyte Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

In a separate interview over the phone, Major Amado Gutierrez, spokesperson of the 8th Infantry Division, said the command was still investigating the incident, preparatory for the possible filing of administrative charges against the two soldiers.

Gutierrez said that Nacion and Abrinita claimed that they were bullied inside the bar, and that the men they gunned down were armed with guns, prompting them to react accordingly.

The two said they first went out of the bar, but left their motorcycle behind. They later returned, but found their vehicle allegedly bastardized, with its tires busted. This angered them, and they had to fire their guns at the alleged perpetrators who they claimed were armed with guns at the time.

Coloner Dino Dolina, commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, for his part said the incident was an isolated case that would not in any way affect the trust of the public to the military.

"We are however not tolerating this incident, and I have been warning my men not to go inside public places, like bars, to drink liquor because they would be vulnerable to altercations. I have already ordered the two soldiers to submit themselves to the police for corresponding legal actions,” added Dolina. (FREEMAN)