ILOILO CITY — The commander of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) detachment based in the village of Da-an Sur, Tapaz in Capiz was shot dead by his colleague on Thursday night.
Lt. Colonel Roderick Garcia, Commander of the Philippine Army’s 12 Infantry Battalion (12IB), said Bonny Jimenez, 39, is currently detained at Tapaz Municipal Police Station for shooting Staff Sergeant Ronio Esoy, 40, using an M16 service firearm.
Esoy sustained more or less 10 gunshot wounds in the different parts of his upper body, mostly in the chest.
“He was dead on the spot,” Garcia said in an interview Friday.
He said Jimenez asked permission from Esoy on Wednesday if he could go home to his family in Barangay Taganghin, also in Tapaz town.
“Since we are on red alert, the commander did not allow him to go,” he said.
Garcia said that around 6 p.m., while Esoy was watching television inside their administration office together with other members of CAFGU, Jimenez, who was drunk, approached his commander and shot him.
Garcia said the suspect was disarmed and apprehended by Sergeant Jose Melysendy, Asst. Detachment Commander and was turned over to responding police officers.
He said other CAFGU members were unable to stop Jimenez because “his actions are normal and there was no indication that it would happen.”
Meanwhile, the cadaver of the victim was brought to Somo Memorial Services for autopsy.
Esoy, a native of Pilar, Capiz, has been the commander of CAFGU detachment since 2016.
Jimenez, meantime, has been a CAFGU Active Auxiliary member for five years.
Garcia said Jimenez will face criminal cases for murder because “he has the intent to kill.”
Administrative cases will also be filed against him for violation of the “Articles of War”. (Cindy Ferrer/PNA)
