By FREDDIE VELEZ
A village councilor in Baliuag City, Bulacan, was arrested for indiscriminate gunfire after a man was struck by a stray bullet during New Year’s Eve celebrations, while a village watchman in Marilao was injured by a powerful firecracker explosion on Thursday, Jan. 1.
Lt. Col. Jayson San Pedro, Baliuag City police chief, reported that the bullet victim is undergoing surgery for a gunshot wound to the neck.
Police said the man had been sitting under a mango tree, chatting with companions, when the stray bullet hit him.
At around 4:00 a.m., investigators discovered at least 10 bullet casings from 9mm and .22-caliber pistols in front of the councilor’s house.
When questioned, he admitted firing his guns toward a nearby creek despite the government’s strict prohibition against indiscriminate gunfire.
He surrendered his firearms for forensic examination and did not resist arrest.
Meanwhile, in Barangay Abangan Sur, Marilao, village watchman Joselito Romero, 61, was injured when a powerful firecracker exploded while he was patrolling on his motorcycle.
He sustained wounds to his chin and arm and was rushed to Bulacan Medical Center in Malolos for treatment.
