BY MA. THERESA LADIAO
ANILAO, Iloilo – A 38-year-old man was shot dead in Barangay Agbatuan early Saturday, November 30, following a violent altercation with two brothers.
The victim, John Ali Panes Pala, sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head during a confrontation with Denn Zeus Ausmolo Bierneza, 23, and Denn Zel Ausmolo Bierneza, 20, around 1:20 a.m., according to police reports.
Police Corporal Ivan Adorio of the Anilao municipal police station said the incident stemmed from an earlier argument between Pala and the elder Bierneza. While the initial disagreement de-escalated, tensions flared when Pala encountered the brothers on his way home.
Eyewitnesses reported that Pala struck Denn Zeus Bierneza during the encounter, sparking a physical altercation.
The younger Bierneza allegedly retrieved a firearm from a nearby store owned by an acquaintance and fired two shots. The first missed, but the second struck Pala in the head, killing him instantly.
Denn Zeus Bierneza is currently in police custody, while a manhunt is underway for his younger brother, who is suspected of firing the fatal shot.
Investigators are working to gather evidence and establish the full sequence of events leading to the shooting./PN
