Toddler hit by stray bullet dies

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – Two-year-old Rhanz Angelo Corpuz, who was hit in the head by a stray bullet on New Year’s Eve in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, died yesterday, becoming the second fatality from gunfire during the revelry.

Chief Inspector Dominic Guerrero, San Nicolas police chief, said Corpuz, who died at around 3:30 p.m., had been in a coma at the intensive care unit of the Laoag City General Hospital.

The young Corpuz was sleeping in their living room while other family members were preparing dinner when the stray bullet hit him in the head.

Guerrero said they have invited for questioning two persons in connection with the shooting and they have agreed to undergo paraffin tests.

Meanwhile, in Ilocos Sur, police investigators invited yesterday for questioning four firemen living near the house of the three-month-old baby who died after being hit by a stray bullet during the New Year revelry in Anonang West, Caoayan.

Ilocos Sur police director Senior Superintendent Jemar Modequillo created an investigating task force to probe the shooting of baby Vhon Alexander Llagas who was hit in the head by a stray bullet as he slept beside his father Valeriano, a construction worker, in their house.

Modequillo said the four Bureau Fire Protection (BFP) personnel who were not immediately identified agreed to undergo paraffin tests and submit their firearms for ballistic examination.

He told The STAR that investigators have ordered the inventory of all firemen, policemen, soldiers, security guards, and private gun owners living within 150 meters of the house of Llagas.

Modequillo, who also heads the investigating task force, said forensic experts from the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City were sent to Ilocos to help the investigators trace the trajectory of the bullet that hit the baby.

“It is a pity that despite all the campaign against indiscriminate firing of guns during the New Year revelry and we even conducted a motorcade for it, we still have these incidents taking place because of hard-headed people,” Modequillo said.

He said investigators are looking into the possibility that the stray bullet that hit Llagas came from a gun fired from within 100 meters from the victim’s house.

“We already have an idea where the bullet could have possibly came from. Based on our assessment, it will not be far from the victim’s house,” Modequillo told The STAR, explaining that the bullet hole on the roof showed a straight, not angled, trajectory.

He admitted that mere visual inspection could not support the filing of a case against the possible suspect, so the newly formed Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) has to seek the help of forensic experts on bullet hole trajectory.

The SITG is composed of different units in the PNP, including the Crime Laboratory Service, intelligence units and the investigation branch to speed up the investigation of the stray bullet cases.

Ilocos Sur Governor Ryan Singson earlier offered a P250,000 reward for any information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspect.

Singson said he offered the reward to embolden witnesses to identify the suspect and expedite the investigation.

Police said Barangay Anonang chairperson Gondalina Tugade is also assisting investigators in identifying the possible gunman.

Tugade said that residents might provide leads on the identity of the suspect.

This developed as the father of last year’s Caloocan City stray bullet victim Stephanie Nicole Ella conveyed his condolences to the Llagas family.

Ella’s father Aquilino said justice had remained elusive in the case of his daughter after one year.

Ella was hit in the head by a stray bullet while watching the fireworks outside their house in Caloocan during the 2012 New Year revelry. Ella’s case remains unsolved.

Police said 26 cases of stray bullet-related injuries during the 2014 New Year revelry were reported nationwide, including the case of Llagas in Ilocos Sur and 12 in Metro Manila.

The 26 incidents this year is lower than the 40 stray bullet-related cases in 2013 that included the death of Ella.

Tighter control sought

Malacañang wants tighter regulations for the use of firearms as the PNP reported more victims of stray bullets yesterday.

In a press briefing, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the PNP was paying close attention to the regulation of firearms and that President Aquino had repeatedly pointed out that the police had intensified its crackdown on loose firearms.

“Oplan Katok” entails door-to-door monitoring of whether gun owners had renewed their licenses or permits to carry their firearms.

According to Coloma, this was done for the May 2013 midterm elections and it had been proven effective.

Coloma said uncontrolled firearms use could not be allowed to continue and though lesser incidents of indiscriminate firing of guns were reported this New Year, “we accept the proposal to tighten regulations” for gun owners.

Indiscriminate firing suspects

At least 15 persons, including three policemen, were arrested for indiscriminate firing from Dec. 16, 2013 to Jan. 2, 2014, police said yesterday.

Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP Public Information Office chief, said among those arrested were three policemen, two security guards, one prison guard, one soldier and eight civilians.

Sindac identified the arrested police officers as Chief Inspector Ricardo Argullo, officer-in-charge of Tinambak police station in Camarines Sur; Police Officer 3 Alexander Padilla delos Reyes of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Unit based in Camp Crame who discharged his firearm in Southern Leyte; and PO1 Ryan Gapayao of the Public Safety Batallion in Caraga (Region 13).

He said the three policemen have been arrested and disarmed.

Sindac said 21 other people were also arrested either for using or selling illegal firecrackers. Some P1.36 million worth of firecrackers were confiscated.

Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor, spokesman of the PNP chief, lamented that despite the stern warning against indiscriminate firing of firearms, three policemen were arrested.

Mayor said the three policemen would face criminal and administrative charges, which could lead to dismissal from the service.

He reiterated the appeal of PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima to the public to immediately report to the nearest police station any incident of indiscriminate firing.

Purisima reminded and warned all 148,000 policemen nationwide not to indiscriminately fire their guns during the Christmas and New Year celebration. With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Aurea Calica, Teddy Molina, Artemio Dumlao, Ric Sapnu