A disco in a mountain barangay in Boljoon town in southeastern Cebu turned bloody when a man suddenly stabbed a policeman and grabbed the law enforcer’s Armalite rifle, which went off during the scuffle, killing a 16-year-old girl and wounding a 30-year-old man.
The attacker identified as Roger Leurque from Cerdeña, Malabuyoc, was also killed by another policeman, who rushed in to help his fellow policeman during last Friday’s disco in Barangay Nangka, which is about 22 kilometers from the Boljoon town proper.
The 16-year-old Maribeth Ceciban died on the spot after a stray bullet from the Armalite rifle of PO1 Edwin Belamala hit her on the head.
Juditho Pilago, 30, who was dancing inside the dance floor, was hit in the lower right leg by another stray bullet.
P03 Nelson Saquibal, Boljoon Police Station investigator, in an interview yesterday said four policemen, including Belamala, were securing the disco on Friday night during the eve of the barangay’s fiesta in honor of St. Vicente Ferrer.
At 9:45 p.m., Leurque reportedly started causing trouble and was shouting and challenging the people in the area.
P01 Belamala approached Leurque and asked him to stop creating trouble. Belamala then turned his back, believing that Leurque had heeded his request, but Leurque instead got his 15-inch knife (plamingko) and stabbed the policeman at the back.
Leurque then grabbed the M16 Armalite rifle which was just held by Belamala and a scuffle for possession of the rifle ensued.
At this instance, Leurque was able to pull the trigger, and at least 5 shots were fired.
Ceciban, a grade 9 student, who was there to watch the disco, was hit in the head while Pilago, who was dancing in the dance floor area, was hit in his lower right leg.
PO1 Noel Pelone, who heard the gunshots, responded and shot Leurque, who was then in a scuffle with Belamala, several times.
All the victims were brought to Oslob district hospital. Leurque and Ceciban were pronounced dead on arrival by doctors there.
Belamala was later transferred to Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City while Pilago was also brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
Boljoon Police Chief, Insp. Rodgene Fudotan, said Leurque was not drunk, but his relatives admitted that he has a mental problem.
Fudotan said they checked the wallet of Leurque and they found out some papers written with “oracion” or prayer with a title “Oracion sa Dios Amahan nga mga bala dili makabuto, akong ikaligo sa lawas.”