By NONOY LACSON
ZAMBOANGA CITY – A soldier gunned down his superior and a junior officer during a heated argument inside a military headquarters in Patikul, Sulu shortly before midnight last Friday.
Killed on the spot were Army Major Rael M. Gabot, executive officer, 9th Fire Artillery Brigade of the Army Artillery Regiment, and 1st Lt. Ryan M. Lamoste, civil military officer of the unit.
A report reaching this city indicated that Corporal Jack P. Indap was drunk when the incident happened at about 11:50 p.m. inside the 9th FAB headquarters in Barangay Liang.
The report said that Lamoste saw Indap punching the chest of Private Ralph Patongao, a duty steward at the unit officers’ mess hall.
Lamoste confronted Indap and asked him if he was drunk and the suspect admitted that he was indeed drunk.
He was ordered by Lamoste to be relieved from his post as sentinel, resulting into a heated argument.
Gabot saw the incident and tried to intervene. However, Indap opened fired at the victims using his service firearm, resulting in the death of the two officers.
2nd Lt. Clint John Cenita responded to the incident shot and killed Indap. Cenita leads a unit of the 41st Infantry Battalion under the operational control of the 35th IB of the Army 11th Infantry Division in Barangay Liang.
The victims and the suspect were taken to Camp Bautista Station Hospital in Jolo, Sulu where they were declared dead.
Scene-of-the-Crime Operatives led by Police Lt. Col. Mark Christian Maceda processed the crime scene. (Nonoy E. Lacson)