B-UNIDO. A tanod was unbelievably shot to death for what authorities called a victim of ricochet by a gun fired by his companions. Chief tanod Abe Martinez of the island barangay of Maomawan, this town, did not make it to the hospital when he was hit by a bullet fired on air as a warning shot to the alleged illegal fishers near the island. Police report said that a group of maritime police accompanied by the tanod was patrolling the seawater nearby when chanced upon the fishers from nearby island of Malingin of same town. The patrol fired a warning shot to the alleged illegal fishers apparently to stop their “unlawful” trade. But the shot hit something they could not explain and caused ricochet and hit the tanod instead.

The fishers were identified as  Antonio Labag, Manolo Labag, Richard Laride, Sherwin Flores and Rosalito Cuizon, all of Malingin island of this town, said other source who declined to be named. The source added that he is wondering why the maritime police did not inform the local authorities here for assistance but instead to Talibon town nearby. On the other side of Bohol, in Panglao, a family of four clung to their lives as their 16-horse-powered banca capsized at dusk the other day due to turbulent seawaters as a result of monsoon between Balicasag islet and this town of about 45 minutes of cruising, police report said. Loue Sabayani, 30 and his wife and two children, said to be of Badjao descendants and residents of barangay Tawala of this tourist town, were rescued safely by passing pumpboat skippered by a certain Bert Babatuan, P01 Jonathan Estoque confirmed the report. Their overturned banca was also brought ashore. The family came the other night from the fiesta of Balicasag island known by scuba buffs for its world-class dive spots, the report said. (RVO)