By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
COUNCILOR George Goking over the weekend called on the city council to consider summoning 4th Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Franco Nemesio Gacal and Lt. Col. Odilon Barrientos, the father of the boy who figured in the accidental shooting of a female 7th grader at the Oro Christian Grace School (OCGS) late last month.
Goking’s call came as a result of the police’s confirmation that the pistol that went off and hurt the 13-year-old girl is military-issued and it was assigned to Barrientos.
According to Gacal last week, Barrientos is with the Army Signal Regiment at Fort Bonifacio and the Army leadership, through the Office of the Provost Marshal, is now looking into the matter.
Goking pointed out that while Barrientos is assigned elsewhere, the accidental shooting involved a ranking Army official and a military weapon, and it took place in Cagayan de Oro which falls under the jurisdiction of the 4th Infantry Division.
He said he and other councilors want to know how Gacal and Camp Evangelista responded to the accidental shooting and exactly what steps were taken by the 4th ID to make sure that Lt. Col. Barrientos is made to accountable.
Goking said he also wants Gacal to tell the city council how the Army deals with soldiers who have endangered lives because of negligence and the corresponding military sanctions they face.
Lt. Col. Barrientos, according to Goking, should also be made to face members of the city’s legislature so he could explain why his underaged son was able to bring a pistol and a grenade out of their house, and toy with government-owned deadly weapons.
He said everywhere the boy went, the weapons could have killed or hurt anyone inside or outside the OCGS campus.
“Aron atong masayran kon duna bay negligence o wala sa amahan. Asa man diay niya gibutang ang iyang pusil ug ngano nga nadala sa iyang anak gawas sa ilang balay?” Goking said.
