The Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMincom) on Sunday ordered its field unit commanders to conduct a thorough investigation on the killing of two Army soldiers and wounding of five other soldiers, including 2 senior officers, by a fellow soldier inside a military camp in Central Mindanao last Friday.
EastMincom chief Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer also ordered Central Mindanao 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division commander Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton to submit a special written report of the 603rd Infantry Brigade about the incident.
Initial investigation said T/Sgt. Policarpio de la Cruz of the 603rd Brigade, while inside Camp Iranum, the Brigade's headquarters in Maguindanao province, suddenly fired his M16 rifle indiscriminately towards the victims at about 4:30 p.m. Friday.
The two fatalities were identified as Sgt. Bernardo de Guzman and Pfc. Christopher Pagatpatan and the wounded as Lt. Col. Aniceto Vicente, Maj. Fe Rea, 2nd Lt. Grace Sumlabang, Sgt. Ronaldo Sarazza and Cpl. Dennis Bergante, all under of 603rd Brigade.
Initial report said the victims were caught by surprise.
Col. Jonathan Ponce, 6th Division spokesman, quoting some statement of other soldiers in the 603rd Brigade command post, said that they noticed T/Sgt. Dela Cruz showing abnormal behavior before the incident took place.
It was not clear how Dela Cruz was subdued by responding fellow soldiers but reports had it that the suspect was placed under medical treatment at nearby hospital of the Brigade.-RMA/MUC/jsd
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