Several barangay tanods will undergo paraffin tests to prove their participation in a shootout incident that killed four people, including a barangay chairman and a police officer, and injured four others in the city past midnight of Friday.

To note, village head Rolando Tabuada Jr., 41, Police Officer 3 Jerome Jaculina, 38, an intelligence officer of Jaro Police Station were killed in a shooting incident during a bikini open event in Brgy. Tacas in Jaro district around 12:10 of May 11.

Tabuada and Jaculina both sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival at the West Visayas State Medical Center.

Other fatalities were the police's cousin Remy Jaculina, 29, and tricycle driver Avelino Savidalas.

Still confined at the hospital are Archie Degoma Jr., Sonia Apostol and two relatives of the policeman - Rio Jaculina and Richard Jaculina.

Initial investigation revealed that the shooting incident started from a heated argument between the police official and the village head over Jaculina's bill.

Allegedly, Tabuada, Degoma and other unknown persons approached PO3 Jaculina but after a heated argument, both parties drew their firearms and a shootout transpired.

When the above mentioned police officer fell to the pavement, Degoma allegedly shot the said police officer several times and even struck the head of the victim with a pistol.

Aside from Degoma, police probers have already identified several barangay tanods whom they believed to have participated in the shootout. They were Maximino Guilaran, 54; tanod commander Nestor Guilaran, Rey Tabuco, 59, married; Jose Dindo, 40; Teddy Regulacion, 54; Materno Janielo, 51; Fedirico Jacoma, 48; Romeo Llamas, 59; Angelo Lucena, 55; and Henry Jarmie, 50.

Meanwhile, Lea Dominguez, sister of the slain police officer, placed Degoma under citizen arrest after she identified him as the person who shot her brother, PO3 Jaculina.

Guilaran and another suspect, Rommel Diño, 32, are still at-large.

Recovered from the crime scene were 54 empty shells of .45 caliber pistol, 62 empty shells of 9mm, 13 deformed bullets, seven empty shells of .38 caliber, and one live ammunition of 9mm pistol.

Further investigation also revealed that the service firearm of PO3 Jaculina was not recovered in the crime scene and was believed to have been taken by unknown persons during the incident.

ACTION

After the incident, Chief Superintendent Cipriano E. Querol, Jr., director of Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6) reiterated that village watchmen are not allowed to carry guns while on duty even if they have permit to carry firearms outside of residence (PTCFOR).

He also added that Oplan Sita, or the law enforcement campaign against unregistered firearms should be implemented at all times, especially in fiestas, festivals and other events where a big volume of people gather.

Iloilo City Police Office Director Marietto Valerio has directive to ban police officers from drinking in any village activity.

"On duty or not, anyone found under the influence of intoxicating liquor may face suspension or dismissal from service," he said.

Meanwhile, Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog ordered the banning of bikini open contests in line with village celebrations.* with reports from Regine Hulleza/WVSU intern