Cagayan cop sacked for shooting witness in ex-mayor’s killing

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – A policeman here has been dismissed for allegedly shooting the witness in one of the controversial murder cases in Cagayan province. The victim was identified as Orlando Alienda who police said suffered a gunshot wound at his right foot. The erring cop was identified as PO2 Raffy Pattaui of the Baggao police. Superintendent Fernando Cristobal Jr, chief of the provincial police’s Intelligence and Investigation Section, said his recommendation for the immediate expulsion of Pattaui has already been approved by Cagayan police provincial chief Supt. Jude Wilson Santos. According to a radio report, Alienda is one of the three witnesses to the murder of former Alacapan mayor Nathaniel Onia. The three are under the government’s witness protection program. Pattaui’s camp, however, claimed that the shooting was accidental. They said that the service fire arm of Pattaui accidentally went off, and that the bullet ricocheted on the floor before hitting Alienda’s foot. The victim is now recuperating in an undisclosed hospital in Cagayan. - Floro Taguinod, GMANews.TV