Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 9) — Six personnel of the Navotas police were relieved from their posts and now face homicide complaints after they fatally shot a 17-year-old boy who they thought was the suspect they were hunting down.
Speaking to CNN Philippines’ Balitaan on Wednesday, Navotas City police chief Col. Allan Umipig said administrative complaints were also filed against the involved police officers, who are currently detained.
Jeraldine Tolentino, sister of the victim Jemboy Baltazar, also confirmed they have filed homicide complaints against the six law enforcers before the Navotas prosecutor’s office.
Umipig said Baltazar’s death appeared to be a \”case of mistaken identity.\”
The official said the shooting happened on Aug. 2 in Brgy. NBBS Kaunlaran, Navotas City during the police’s search for a wanted suspect.
Authorities immediately proceeded to the location upon receiving information that the suspect was hiding in a boat there. They then discovered that there was a boat with two people inside, one of whom was Baltazar.
\”‘Yung isa po ay nag-stay lang po doon sa bangka at itong biktima po, dahil siguro sa takot, ay tumalon po sa tubig. At ito naman pong mga pulis na involved na anim ay nagpaputok po,\” Umipig said.
[Translation: The other one stayed inside the boat while the victim, maybe because of fear, jumped into the water. And the six policemen involved opened fire.]
The police officers claimed what they fired were warning shots aimed at the water, Umpig said. They also didn’t know that the victim jumped into the water, he added.
Baltazar’s siblings said the bullet went through his head then to his nose.
The guns used during the incident were confiscated and will go through ballistic examination to determine who shot the victim, police added.
In a statement, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas condemned the fatal shooting of the minor, noting that it is \”a harsh reminder of how the Philippine National Police brutally killed Kian Delos Santos in 2017 under the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.\”
\”It is appalling that young lives are being cut short due to the trigger-happy actions of law enforcement officers. This shoot-first-ask-questions-later attitude is a manifestation of the culture of impunity in the country which continues to intensify under the Marcos Jr. administration,\” she added.
Brosas called for accountability and justice for Baltazar’s death.
