A former seminarian who was believed to have been suffering from a mental health disorder was shot dead by police officers after allegedly resisting arrest on Wednesday morning.
According to Staff Sgr. Jayson Redillas, they received a complaint against Roderick Obguia who allegedly ran amok and broke jalousie and sliding windows of the house of his neighbor at Sitio Datag in Barangay Katipunan at past 10 a.m.
“Nag-wild man kuno to siya. Matud nila, naa kuno to siya’y diperensya sa panghuna-huna. Mao nay iyaha, matud pa sa mga silingan, motokar mag-wild siya,” said Redillas.
Redillas said Master Sgt. Stephen Dacullo and Staff Sgt. Elmer Tabio were deployed to the area where Obguia was running amok while armed with lagaraw, a local bolo variant used to cut bushes and shrubs.
The police officers tried to pacify Obguia but the latter allegedly attempted to attack Dacullo.
This prompted Dacullo to shoot and hit the lower portion of Obguia’s stomach causing the latter to fall to the ground.
“Sila naman nuoy gi-atubang, sila maoy gi dasmagan. Mura’g mo patay g’yud. Mao tong wa na silay nahimo ila nalang gi pusil,” Redillas said.
The police officers then alerted emergency responders of the TaRSIER 117 which rushed Obguia to a hospital in Carmen but he was declared dead on arrival.
Based on the attending physician’s findings, one of Obguia’s kidneys was hit by the bullet causing his death.
Obguia’s family has met with the police chief of the Carmen Police Station but it was not yet known on whether or not they will file a complaint against the responding police officers.
Based on the statement of the Obguia’s family, he had been showing signs of distress after returning from a seminary.
He then took a break from his studies as his family sought ways to treat his condition. (A. Doydora)
