A paramilitary trooper ran amuck on Wednesday killing an Army detachment commander and a civilian, before he was shot dead by a colleague in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.

Killed on the spot were Sgt. Jenny Cortez, commander of the Palampas detachment, CAFGU member Henry Daragoza and Bryan Egloria, 18, who was hit by stray bullets.

In his report to Negros Occidental police director Rosendo Franco, Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz yesterday said Cortez who was on a routine inspection of the detachment, saw Daragoza drinking intoxicating liquor at the sari-sari store of Melda Canas in Sitio Pamahawan of the barangay, although he was on duty.

Police investigations show that Daragoza appeared to be drunk when ordered by Cortez to return to the detachment.

An hour after, Daragoza returned to the sari-sari store armed with an M-16 armalite rifle- and shot his detachment commander without any provocation, de la Paz said.

Stray bullets also hit Egloria, police investigations showed.

De la Paz said CAFGU member Apolinario Samonte tried to grab the armalite rifle of Daragoza after witnessing the shooting incident, but failed to disarm him.

Cpl. Juicery Pomares, assistant detachment commander, who immediately went to the scene, shot Daragoza, the police also said.

An M-16 assault rifle with a magazine containing 10 rounds of live ammunition was recovered by Pomares from the slain Daragoza, while eight empty shells of the same caliber of firearm found at the crime scene, were turned over to the San Carlos Police Station.

Letty Daragoza, mother of the slain victim, in an interview at the Saksi program of RGMA Super Radyo, said her son and Cortez had a conflict.

De la Paz said Daragoza had previously been reprimanded and disarmed by his firearm by his immediate superior for indiscriminate firing.

The bodies of Cortez, Daragoza and Egloria were brought to the St. Francis Funeral Home in San Carlos City for autopsy purposes.*GPB

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