COLLATERAL DAMAGE?

ALAMINOS CITY– A 15-year old boy is still fighting for his life at the Region 1 Medical Center (R1MC) in Dagupan after he was shot last November 16 by his playmate with the pump shotgun issued by the provincial government to the latter’s mother, a barangay kapitan.

The victim, Roland Pulanco, was shot on the left side of his body when his playmate accidentally pulled the trigger while showing off the shotgun issued to his mother, Barangay Chairman Milagros Payas of Landoc, Alaminos City.

The incident happened in the premises of the Payases in Barangay Landoc when the barangay captain and her husband, a policeman, were away.

Dr. Michael Canto, spokesman of R1MC, quoting Dr. Mario Garcia, the surgeon who operated on the boy, said Pulanco sustained injuries in the liver, kidney and diaphragm.

An investigation is still being conducted by the Alaminos City Police to determine if there was foul play although a relative of the victim initially said the incident was an accident.

Maryjane Pulanco, 35, the victim’s mother, said her son and Tonette are close friends and are actually relatives.

P/Supt. Lloyd Millan, chief of the Alaminos City Police learned that the shotgun was kept by Payas inside a locked cabinet but her son destroyed the lock, while his parents were away, to show the weapon to his playmate.

The incident caused uproar against the shotgun program placing the provincial administration of Governor Amado Espino Jr. in the eye of the storm anew.

Millan said the investigation will not spare Payas, and her husband, a policeman and the designated supervisor of the shotgun.

Initial police investigation indicates that the shotgun was still loaded when it was kept in the cabinet. The cartridge may have been loaded the night before when the husband carried the shotgun when he led a night patrol.

The young suspect initially went on hiding but surfaced few hours later and surrendered to the Alaminos Police.

Being minor and no formal case was filed against him, he was released by the police to his parents.

Police Provincial Director Percival Barba said the father of the boy will be questioned too for committing lapses as supervisor of the shotgun issued to his wife.

He is also looking into the remote possibility that the shotgun issued to Barangay Captain Payas may have factory defect. In case the shotgun is found defective, he said all the shotguns will be recalled for further testing.

It is the first incident that the controversial shotguns resulted in critical injuries although four incidents of alleged harassment by barangay captains in Binmaley, Mangaldan, San Carlos City and Manaoag using the shotguns were reported to the media..—LM

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