Cops rule accidental firing in death of Baldomero kin
Police investigators ruled that accidental firing was behind the death of the cousin of slain militant leader and Lezo, Aklan Councilor Fernando Baldomero.
Zosimo Inginiero, 51, a barangay tanod of San Ramon, Malinao, was found dead early Friday morning, a day before Baldomero was laid to rest.
Aklan Provincial Police Office Director Epifanio Bragais Jr. said the pieces of evidence point to the probability that Inginiero’s death was by his own doing.
“Lahat ng forensic examination results led to the possibility that he accidentally shot himself,” he said.
Before the incident, Inginiero was having a drinking spree with brothers Susano and Magdaleno Alpaceno and Belcesar Relingo at around 8:15 p.m. Thursday.
Bragais said the victim, who was wearing a polo shirt on top of his T-shirt, left the group to relieve himself.
“For fear that he would drop his gun, he first took his polo shirt off and hanged it on a clothesline. He then peed while holding the gun with his finger on the trigger. The gun then went off,” Bragais said.
The victim has three gunshot wounds, from a homemade caliber .9mm machine pistol.
For now, Bragais that they found no solid evidence to link Inginiero’s death to the assassination of Baldomero.
It was not yet explained why the victim’s body was found the following day already .
Relingo’s alleged involvement was highlighted after it was known that he buried the victim’s firearm.
After the incident though, the police arrested Relingo and the Alpaceno brothers, and were made to undergo paraffin examination.
But Bragais said that they are bound to release the Alpaceno brothers from detention because they were already cleared.
Relingo, on the other hand, will be charged for obstruction of justice for burying the firearm and muddling the crime scene.
