Mistaken identity? Navotas cops charged over teenager's slay

Cops had 'lapse of judgment' in Navotas shooting: PNP

MANILA (UPDATED) — At least 6 Navotas City police officers have been charged over the death of a 17-year-old boy after they shot and allegedly mistook him for being a suspect they were pursuing, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Wednesday.

PNP public information office chief BGen. Redrico Maranan said the officers have also been stripped of their service firearms as criminal and administrative investigations into the incident were underway.

Citing information from the chief of the Navotas police, Maranan said the 6 cops were responding to a shooting incident in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran last Wednesday, Aug. 2.

One of the suspects was arrested, while another remained at large.

Maranan said the police officers had received information that the second suspect was hiding inside a banca, and allegedly mistook the 17-year-old boy to be the suspect when he jumped into the sea.

"Sa kanilang paghabol, nakakuha sila ng information na iyong isa sa suspek ay nagtatago doon sa loob ng bangka at sa kung ano mang kadahilanan—na ngayon ay subject pa rin ng investigation—nagpaputok iyong ating mga pulis at sinasabi nila na sa kanilang pagtaya ay nandoon nga iyong suspek at nagpaputok sila dahil tumalon sa tubig," he told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

(While pursuing the suspects, they had been informed that one of the suspects was hiding inside a banca. And for whatever reason—which is still subject to investigation—the police officers shot the teenager because they believed he was the suspect who tried to escape by jumping into the water.)

Maranan said the Navotas cops had a lapse of judgment in shooting the boy.

"Iyon ang ating iniimbestigahan. Subalit ang ating leadership sa PNP ay hindi... i-to-tolerate o iko-condone kung may error o lapses ang kanilang mga pulis sa kanilang mga tungkulin," he added.

(We are investigating that right now. But the PNP leadership will not tolerate or condone any errors of lapses made by police personnel in the performance of their duties.)

He also noted that under police operational procedures, service firearms must only be used for three reasons: self-defense, defense of relatives, defense of strangers.

"Iyon lamang ang mga sirkumstansya na dapat ay gagamitin mo iyong baril. Other than that, violation of law na," Maranan said.

(Those are the only circumstances where one should use his or her service firearm. Reasons other than those are a violation of the law.)

Maranan also said the six cops involved in the operation are currently under restrictive custody.

"Yung mga pulis na involved ay nasa restrictive custody na ng district headquarters at kinasuhan na rin sila ng reckless imprudence resulting in homicide," he said.

(The cops involved are under restrictive custody of the district headquarters, and they have been charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.)

- with a report from Raya Capulong, ABS-CBN News