Four persons were allegedly killed while another was wounded by a former Marine in a shooting incident in Barangay Basug, Santa, Ilocos Sur Tuesday.
Chief Insp. William Nerona, spokesperson of the Ilocos Sur police, identified the victims as Reykhel Ballesca, 25; Fazel Custodia, 24; Gerardo Belen, 48, all of Barangay Basug, and Romulo Bruzon, 21, of Barangay Quezon District, Santa.
The wounded was identified as Prince Marion Garcia, 26, of Barangay Magsaysay District, Santa.
Investigation showed that the victims were having a drinking session at about 9:45 p.m. in the house of barangay kagawad (councilor) Isidro de Peralta of Barangay Basug when the suspect, Antonio Espiritu, 63, of Barangay Rizal, Santa, armed with a caliber .30 carbine rifle, arrived.
Espiritu opened fire at the victims and fled. Responding lawmen took Ballesca, Custodia, Belen, and Bruzon to the Metro Vigan Cooperative Hospital in Bantay, Ilocos Sur but were declared dead on arrival. Garcia was taken to the Gabriela Silang General Hospital in Barangay Tamag, Vigan City where he is now recuperating. (Freddie G. Lazaro)