Elderly shot dead after being mistaken for wild boar

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — A septuagenarian farmer was shot dead Tuesday night after he was mistaken by a hunter for a wild boar in the middle of a cornfield in a village of Tigbao town, Zamboanga del Sur, police said.

The fatality was identified as Antonio Marquez Barcenal, 70, while the suspect was Limpiado Tapic, 33. Both were farmers and residents of Purok Makiangayon, Barangay Guinlin, Tigbao town, said Col. Diomarie Albarico, provincial police director of Zamboanga del Sur.

Police investigation disclosed the suspect, together with his companion identified as Dennis Bacus Laure, went to the corn storage house of Barcenal about 5:45 p.m. to seek permission to hunt for wild boar but no one was around.

After waiting for more than an hour, Tapic and Laure headed downhill thinking that the victim might have already left the farm, according to the police.

While heading downhill about 7 p.m., the duo reportedly heard a noise in the middle of the cornfield which Tapic assumed to be a wild boar pestering the cornfield.

The police said Tapic heard a loud sound as he was approching the area, which prompted him to fire. 

Tapic then went to check and discovered that what he hit was 70-year-old farmer Barcenal, not a wild boar.

The suspect ran downhill and told his companion that he mistakenly shot and killed an elderly. 

According to the police, Tapic decided the following morning to tell the incident to his neighbors and surrendered to the authorities.