CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – A drinking session led to the death of a Philippine Air Force (PAF) personnel who was shot by his fellow serviceman in Barangay Lumbia here late Friday night, police said.
Police identified the victim as Staff Sgt. Renante Blanco, 39, married, of Barangay Pulung Maragul in Angeles City, Pampanga.
Airman 2nd Class Reymart Jayme Noquera, 26, married, from Quezon City, was tagged by law enforcers as the suspect in the killing of Blanco.
Investigators said Blanco and Noquera were having a drink when the shooting started.
It was not yet determined if the two were with a group of Air Force servicemen when the incident happened inside the PAF’s Tactical Operations Group-10 (TOG-10) headquarters in Barangay Lumbia, at about 10:45 p.m. on Friday.
Both Blanco and Noquera were assigned at TOG-10.
Airman 2nd Class Alijani Sapayani told police investigators he heard Blanco and Noquera embroiled in a heated argument prior to the shooting.
A series of gunfire were heard coming from the back of the TOC-10 headquarters a few minutes later.
Police said the suspect used his issued firearm, an M-16 Elisco assault rifle, in shooting Blanco, who succumbed to a gunshot wound in the head.
Blanco was rushed to the Army’s 4th Infantry Division hospital in Barangay Patag but was declared dead by the attending physician at around 12:15 a.m. Saturday.
Law enforcers recovered 16 pieces of spent 5.56 empty shells from the crime scene.
The suspect was brought to the 4ID detention facility for temporary detention, said Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez, 4ID spokesperson.
The suspect’s firearm was confiscated and turned over to the Lumbia police station. (Jigger J. Jerusalem/PNA)
