ILOILO – Two firearm projectiles or slugs were separately recovered on Jan. 1 in Barangay Poblacion, Ajuy and Barangay Lanag, Santa Barbara, making policemen wonder if these were stray bullets from indiscriminate firing or illegal discharge of firearms during the New Year celebration.
The Arroyo family of Barangay Poblacion, Ajuy was thankful none of its members got hit by the slug recovered from a bedroom on the second floor of the house.
Maylen Arroyo turned over the slug to the Ajuy police station yesterday. She said a niece found it on the bed foam around 2 a.m. on Jan. 1 after their family wrapped up their New Year celebration downstairs.
However, said Police Captain Roy Castro, Ajuy police chief, “We could not yet conclude if this is a stray bullet. Our investigation is still ongoing.”
A ballistic examination would be conducted, said Castro, in the hope of tracing the gun from where the slug was discharged.
“We will endeavor to identify the owner of the gun and file a criminal case,” said Castro.
In Barangay Lanag, Santa Barbara the slug was recovered in front of Lanag Elementary School at 8 a.m. yesterday. The 44-year-old Roger Solis of Barangay Lanag turned it over to the municipal police station.
“We have to investigate,” said Police Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), and only then could it be ascertained if the slugs were stray bullets.
“Generally peaceful.” This was how the PRO-6 assessed the New Year celebrations across Western Visayas.
There were no major crimes and no stray bullet cases between Dec. 19 to Dec. 31, said Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, regional police director.
On the other hand, the number of New Year firecracker blast victims also dropped, said Pamuspusan, by 70.96 percent – from 93 during the 2019 New Year celebrations to only 27 this 2020 New Year revelry.
“We are happy. Gun holders showed they have discipline. We achieved our aim because of the people’s cooperation,’’ said the police director./PN
