Laoag City, Ilocos Norte — Early on 3 August, 2024, an incident involving the illegal discharge of firearms at the Elsands Construction Site in Barangay 31, Talingaan, Laoag City left one injured and two arrested.
The altercation began around 1:45 AM when two security personnel, a 23-year-old male from Barangay Sacritan, Pinili, Ilocos Norte, and a 43-year-old male head of security from Barangay Tubod, Iligan City, Lanao Del Norte, who was a stay-in worker at the site, were conducting a patrol. They found construction workers drinking inside their barracks, while the victim, a 40-year-old married male from Barangay Balaoi, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, was having dinner.
The security personnel reminded the workers that alcohol consumption was prohibited on the site. Annoyed by the reprimand, the victim threw away his plastic plates. At that moment, one of the security personnel allegedly fired his firearm into the ground. The victim then confronted the suspect, who responded by hitting him in the face with the firearm. As the suspects were leaving, another suspect also allegedly fired his weapon into the ground. The victim suffered head injuries from the incident.
Police from the Laoag City Police Station arrived at the scene around 2:30 AM and found that the situation had been resolved. They took all involved parties, along with one of the firearms, to the station for further investigation.
Following the victim's identification of the suspects, the two security personnel were arrested. A 25-year-old single male witness, also a resident of Barangay Balaoi, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, and a stay-in worker at the site, provided key testimony about the events.