A former Army soldier who allegedly shot and killed four of his nephews and injured another one in Brgy. General Malvar, Pontevedra, was charged yesterday of murder on four counts, and frustrated murder, before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Negros Occidental.

Charged was former Army SSgt. Nestor Estrellanes, a former member of the 11th Infantry Battalion.

Estrellanes, who was armed with a .45 caliber pistol, allegedly shot and killed his four nephews identified as Rex June Palacios, Rudy and Dominador Genton, Reynaldo Amable, and injured Generoso Genton, for no reason at all, on Jan. 27.

Senior Inspector Vanessa Sonoy, Pontevedra police chief, said Estrellanes had the intention to kill the victims, for still unexplained reasons.

Estrellanes, 52, who was reported to be under the influence of alcoholic liquor, engaged in a heated discussion with the victims, before the shooting incident, investigations by the Pontevedra police showed.

The former soldier gave himself up to the Pontevedra Police Station after the shooting rampage, and surrendered the .45 caliber pistol.

Policemen who responded to the incident, recovered a slug and three spent shells of a .45 caliber pistol at the crime scene.

The shooting incident took place at the wake for Felipa Genton, who was a second cousin of Estrellanes. Rudy, Dominador and Generoso are her sons, while Palacios and Amable are her nephews.

The four fatalities and the survivor are also nephews of Estrellanes.*GPB

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