NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
Dauis town Vice-Mayor Mirriam T. Sumaylo ordered the shutdown of the Sumaylo Firing Range in barangay Biking, saying that the Sumaylos has the authority to close the said facility in the event there’s a violation based on the agreement with the management of the facility.
The closure is temporary. It will be opened as soon as the investigation is finished, Sumaylo told media interview yesterday.
This came after Korean national identified as Jeongseu Park, 17, allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself inside the said firing range, police report showed.
Sumaylo denied the allegation that the said firing range situated in Sumaylo’s family property has no permit to operate.
She said that it is not the responsibility of the lot owner to secure permit to operate the firing range, pursuant to the said agreement. It’s the call of the management who use it since the management does not pay rent as it’s for free, she added.
One of the conditions set under the agreement is that the management should make the use of the facility for free to the criminology students and other law enforcers apparently for practice.
In a separate interview, Dauis Mayor Roman Bullen said he ordered the investigation of the suicide incident of the foreigner.
He said he only learned this a day after (Feb. 8) the said tragic incident at the firing range. He said he should have been notified right away considering that the firing range is within the territorial jurisdiction of the town.
When asked if the facility management has applied for a permit, the mayor said they did but did not return to his office.
It was not immediately known why an underage foreigner was allowed in the firing range to practice shooting.
One Rudy Barrios Genilo, range officer, reported to the police about what happened at the facility located at purok 1, barangay Biking at about 2:30 in the afternoon of Feb. 7 after the suicide incident.
Dr. Jon Mark V. Vergara declared the victim dead thru “self-inflicted,” and “by traumatic brain injury secondary to gunshot wound.”
The victim was assisted by a certain John Lloyd M. Capricho, 18, single in the firing, police report said.
The victim arrived alone at the said firing range after he boarded a trike at about 9:30 in the morning on Feb. 7.
“In the afternoon, the victim resumed shooting practice at around 2:30. Capricho, who manned the victim as range officer, set the pistol in safety mode after the third shot and placed it on the table as the victim stopped shooting practice, but suddenly the victim shoot himself in the head.”
The remains of the victims were expected to be attended to by his parents, Jaewoo Park and Enu Jeong Chai (father and mother, respectively) with the help of the assistant consulate Sungjoon Park to facilitate the remains to be brought to Cebu for cremation. (ricobedencio@yahoo.com)