THE bullet that killed a six-year-old boy in Caloocan City came from a policeman's firearm, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director Guillermo Eleazar confirmed on Thursday, May 2.
"Regarding Gian Habal case in Caloocan, advance information from (PNP) Crime Laboratory shows that the gun surrendered by Corporal Rocky Delos Reyes was the one used in killing the child," Eleazar said in a text message to reporters.
Habal was killed on Sunday, April 28, after a stray bullet hit him while Delos Reyes was engaged in a shootout with a wanted person near the boy's home.
Delos Reyes also allegedly shot Habal's grandmother after she tried to prevent him from escaping.
Eleazar said the firearm used by Delos Reyes during the incident was not issued by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The government-issued firearm of Delos Reyes was confiscated over complaints of indiscriminate firing last December against the policeman.
Meantime, on the police Standard Operational Procedures, policemen are discouraged from firing warning shots especially when there are bystanders nearby.
"Assuming na talagang ang ginawa niya ay hinabol niya 'yon (wanted person), 'yong pong barilin niya ito habang tumatakas — kasi 'yon po 'yong nakita nating theory dito eh, dahil tatakasan siya, binaril niya — hindi po dapat ginagawa 'yon," Eleazar said.
(Assuming he was really chasing the wanted person, he should not have shot at him. That is the theory, that he shot at the person to prevent his escape.)
"'Yon pong kahit na warning shot ay dini-discourage na po natin 'yon lalo na kung gagawin 'yon at magreresulta sa pagkamatay," he added.
(We discourage our men from firing warning shots, especially if this would lead to someone's death.)
Eleazar said Delos Reyes should have called for back-up when he chanced upon the suspect.
He also said earlier that Delos Reyes has no right to conduct such an operation as he is not a member of the arrest section but the administrative section.
Delos Reyes has been restricted to the Caloocan custodial facility. (VoxPop Philippines)