A farm worker is facing charges for alarm and scandal that allegedly resulted in the death of a pensioner from a heart attack at Hda. De Agua, Brgy. Cubay, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 21.
The complainants alleged that the suspect Romel Dela Torre Maquilat indiscriminately fired a gun, which is still under investigation, Lt. Col. Lowell Garinganao, La Carlota City police chief, said Sunday.
They are still investigating if a firearm had been used as it has not been recovered, Garinganao said.
However, alarm and scandal charges will be filed against Maquilat.
Nador Luyao Guitguit, 66, of Hda. De Agua succumed to a heart attack during the incident.
Initial police investigation showed that at around 7:05 p.m. the suspect went to the house of the victim and shouted at the top of his voice for the occupants to stop singing.
At around 8 p.m. he returned and again shouted at the group and allegedly pulled out an unidentified firearm, pointed it in the air and fired four times.
It was alleged that because of the explosion and noise created by the alleged firing of the gun by the suspect, the victim felt pain on his chest, suffered breathing difficulty and was rushed to the Don Salvador Benedicto Memorial District Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
The police negotiated for the surrender of the suspect who locked himself inside his room and resisted arrest.
The alleged firearm used by Maquilat, who is now in police custody, was not recovered. Maquilat claimed he had just used firecrackers, the police added.*