3 Army intel officers indicted for mauling carpenter in Aurora bar brawl

BALER, Aurora – Three rookie soldiers were charged with serious physical injuries by the Philippine National Police before the provincial prosecutor’s office Monday for the brutal mauling of a 37-year-old carpenter during a brawl in a restaurant here at dawn Friday.

          Charged in an information filed by the Baler PNP led by its station commander, Chief Inspector Reynante Pitpitan were privates first class Jesse Roque, 28, of Tarlac City; Jaypee Gutierrez, 27, of Camp Tinio, Cabanatuan City and Efren Montefalco Jr., 30, of New Abra, Matalam, North Cotabato.

          They were all assigned with the military intelligence branch (MIB) of the Army’s 7^th Infantry (Kaugnay) Division based at the Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija.

          The case has been raffled off to prosecutor Julieta Isidro-Reyes.

The three soldiers were charged for mauling carpenter Antonio Macarayo of Barangay Suklayin following a confrontation inside the Freddie’s Resto Bar at Sitio Labasin, Barangay Sabang at around 3 am Friday.

          Named by the PNP as witnesses in the complaint were Macarayo’s wife Chona, Mark Gregory Babia, and PO2 Geoffrey Bolante and PO3 Guervin Atun, both of the Baler PNP.

          Police Inspector Desiree Buluag, Baler deputy chief of police, in an incident report released to newsmen, said that prior to the incident, Macarayo went to the bar to drink liquor with four of his young companions identified as Rienheart Jeff Virey, 21,; Marvin Virrey, 23; Arvin Santiago, 22; and Sherwin Pangalinan, 22.

          Later, Macarayo’s group figured in a heated argument with the soldiers, who were apparently drunk, including Montefalco who was armed with a caliber 45 revolver.

          The two groups were somehow pacified by the bar’s security guard on duty and they left shortly after.

          Unknown to Macarayo’s group, Montefalco’s group waited for them outside and when they spotted them, they assaulted the five.

Macarayo and his companions scampered in different directions but he slipped and fell on the pavement where the suspects caught up with him and took turns mauling him, knocking him unconscious.

          Responding lawmen arrested the three suspects and detained them at  the municipal police stockade.

          Macarayo was rushed to the Aurora Memorial Hospital for treatment of bruises and contusions in the face. He was later transferred to the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU).

          Mrs. Macarayo said her husband was almost left for dead by the suspects who even pistol-whipped the victim in the head and face.

          Babia, another witness said that while the victim was being beaten to a pulp by the suspects, he overheard one of them yelled “tuluyan mo na pare (kill him buddy).”

          Brig. Gen. Glorioso Miranda, 7^th ID commanding general, said they will never tolerate such acts by the soldiers.

          “We will have the incident investigated and give the three soldiers due process. But we will never condone their actions if they are found guilty,” he said, adding they could be dismissed from the service depending on the gravity of the offense.