Injured	Killed
1	0

Date: 20 January 2013
Source: http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/news/provincial/43346-ex-cop-shoots-drunk-neighbor-for-bad-joke

CAMP Macabulos, Tarlac City — Loose joke by a drunk person may be fatal.

This is the lesson learned by a construction worker who went home for a short vacation over the weekend but was shot by a neighbor after allegedly throwing friendly jokes at him.

Supt. Ponciano Zafra, Gerona town police chief, identified the victim as Arnold Calzada, 44, of Bgy. Poblacion 1, a carpenter, who sustained two gunshot wounds in the right arm.  

The suspect, identified as Marconie Balita, 52, was arrested for possession of a Colt .45 pistol he allegedly used in shooting Calzada.

It was gathered that at around 7 p.m. Sunday, Calzada, who was drunk, cracked jokes at Balita who was then playing mahjong. Apparently irked by the “tirades of jokes,” Balita confronted Calzada which led to a heated argument between them.

Calzada is now recuperating at the Tarlac Provincial Hospital while Balita was detained at the Gerona PNP Station.

Charges of frustrated murder and illegal possession of firearms will be filed against Balita.

Senior Supt. Alfred Corpus, Tarlac police director, lauded the police, saying, “With the arrest of the suspect, this case is now considered closed or solved and this is another commendable accomplishment by our Gerona PNP.”

Meanwhile, Zafra said they arrested Edgar Cuarteros, Gerona’s second most wanted who is facing two counts of rape before the Tarlac Regional Trial Court Branch 65.

Cuarteros was arrested in his hideout in Bgy. Damila, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, where he was accosted by members of his team.