A FRIEND of the 17-year-old boy who was killed by members of the Navotas City Police Station in what was supposed to be a case of mistaken identity yesterday said that Jehrode “Jemboy” Baltazar had been shot before he supposedly jumped into the river.
Speaking via videoconferencing during the third and final day of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs hearing, alias “Sonny Boy” said he and Jemboy were cleaning a banca in Tabing Ilog, Babanse St., North Bay Boulevard South-Kaunlaran in Navotas City last August 2 when more than 20 cops arrived at around 1:45 p.m.
He said the cops, without uttering a word, started firing their guns in their direction, contrary to what the police earlier said.
“Patalon pa lang siya (Jemboy) ay pinutukan na siya…Bago siya tumalon sa ilog ay tinamaan na siya…Nahulog siya kasi tinamaan ng bala. Hindi ako tumalon sa tubig kasi hindi ako marunong lumangoy (Jemboy was about to jump into the river when the cops fired their guns…He was hit before he could jump into the water…He fell into the river because he was hit. I did not jump into the river because I don’t know how to swim),” Sonny Boy said.
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros said Sonny Boy’s narrative could be true based on a photo sent to her office by a concerned citizen showing what looked like bloodstains in the boat.
The scene-of-the-crime investigators and the local police said they did not notice the supposed bloodstains since it was already dark when they processed the crime scene.
Sonny Boy said more shots were later fired in the direction where Jemboy fell.
An autopsy conducted by forensics expert Dr. Raquel Fortun said Jemboy sustained two gunshot wounds in the head and drowned.
“Nang mahulog siya sa tubig ay lalo pa sila bumaril. Malakas ang barilan na narinig ko…May tama sa tolda ng bangka. Hindi ko na alam kung saan pa tumama ang ibang bala (The cops fired more shots when Jemboy fell into the water. The series of gunfire were loud…The boat’s tent was hit. I don’t know where the other bullets hit),” he added.
He said nobody among the policemen retrieved Jemboy, adding the boy’s uncle, Nicanor Guillermo, arrived more than four hours later to find his nephew in the murky river.
Police reports showed the operation in pursuit of shooting suspect Reynaldo Bolivar was conducted at around 1:45 p.m. on August 2. Jemboy was shot dead on the same day, supposedly mistaken as the suspect.
Sonny Boy also claimed the police team convinced him to come out of hiding on the promise that he would not be shot.
Capt. Joseph Mark Carpio, the team leader, said the cops convinced Sonny Boy and Jemboy to surrender, adding they had information that Bolivar had been spotted in a banca in the area.
Carpio said they did not know that somebody, later identified as Jemboy, jumped into the river. He added the cops fired at the water but claimed these were warning shots, believing the suspect they were pursuing could be hiding in the vicinity.
Sonny Boy said he was then whisked to the police station for an investigation.
While there, he said Carpio told him to include in his sworn statement that Jemboy was in possession of illegal drugs and a gun “for the sake of the police service.”
He said a man who looked like a cop hit him three times in the side of his body while he was being shown a rogue’s gallery.
He said the “cop” who hit him was known to Carpio.
Carpio denied Sonny Boy’s allegation that he was hit and that he knew who hit him.
Sonny Boy said he executed a “long” sworn statement which he signed at the police station on August 3, but was surprised that his sworn statement had been cut short when it was presented before the assistant city prosecutor.
Sonny Boy said it was Police Chief Master Sgt. Aurelito Galvez, the investigator-on-case, allegedly cut short his sworn affidavit. Galvez denied the allegation.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo questioned why Police Staff Sgt. Johnvir Tagacay was given a body camera by Pat. Mangada when the latter did not know how to operate it. Mangada was the one authorized to wear the body camera.
Mangada said he handed the camera to Tagacay since he wanted it to be secured before talking to someone near the river so they could use a banca to arrest Bolivar.
Tagacay said he wore the camera at around 12:30 p.m. but noticed that its battery went dead at around 2 p.m.
He said the camera was not in recording mode at the time of the operation since he does not know how to operate it, adding it was only in the “live streaming” mode.
Tulfo said footage from the camera would have been vital to determine what actually transpired during the operation.
Tulfo asked Corporal Joey Balubar, the data custodian, if he had monitored the operation since it was in live streaming mode.
Balubar said he did not since he was busy doing the station’s schedule of assignments for policemen. He said he did not monitor the live streaming since he was not informed that his colleagues would have an operation.
Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who chairs the panel, said the cops’ explanations regarding the use of the camera were all “unacceptable.”
“It is obvious that you are trying to muddle the investigation. The data custodian’s reason is unbelievable and he is just making up stories that he was not monitoring the live streaming,” Dela Rosa said.
Jessa, a sister of Jemboy, claimed that cops prevented them from entering the crime scene after they learned that her brother could have been the one shot by the cops. She said the cops did nothing to find Jemboy in the river.
“Wala silang ginawa. Iniwan lang nila ang kapatid ko. Ayaw nila kami palapitin kasi hindi pa raw tapos ang operation nila doon, bawal po lumapit…Hintayin na lang daw lumutang ang kapatid ko (They did nothing. They just left my brother (in the river). They prevented us from getting near because their operation is not yet over. We were told to just wait for my brother to surface),” Jessa added.
Carpio denied this, adding he did not see any of Jemboy’s relatives at the scene.
Police Executive Master Sgt. Robert Balais said he approached Jessa and her relatives after sensing they were looking for someone at the crime scene.
“Puede raw bang sisirin? Sabi ko huwag na sila mag-alala at hinahanap na namin. Baka nandiyan lang sa gilid ng dike o nakahawak sa katig ng mga bangka. Pero wala akong sinabi na hindi puedeng sisirin… Ang ano namin ay nakatakas na siya (The relatives asked me if they can find Jemboy in the river. I told them not to worry as we are already looking for him. He might be at the dike or clinging to the outrigger of a banca. But I never said that they cannot dive into the river to find him… We thought he has slipped past us),” Balais said.
Guillermo, Jemboy’s uncle, said he arrived at the scene at around 5 p.m. and asked permission if he could dive into the river to look for his nephew.
He said the river at that time was already on low tide and just waded through the murky river.
He said last August 11, he was being interviewed by a TV program when he found a spent bullet shell in the middle portion of the banca where Jemboy and Sonny Boy were working on August 2. He said he turned over the bullet shell to an investigator.
During last Tuesday’s hearing, Dela Rosa said the spent shell came from the Taurus .9mm pistol issued to Staff Sgt. Gerry Maliban, who Carpio said was the first to fire his gun.
Hontiveros moved to lift the contempt order on Carpio, Maliban, and Capt. Juanito Arabejo and asked the Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, the deputy PNP chief for administration, to take custody of the three while they are being investigated.
After three days of inquiry, Dela Rosa decided to terminate the hearing
BATONS, WHISTLES
PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. yesterday said he is open to the proposal of Dela Rosa that police should also be armed with batons and whistles so they will have a less lethal approach in dealing with suspects.
In an ambush interview in San Juan City, Acorda admitted that he had initial discussions with Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, about arming policemen with batons and whistles.
Last Tuesday, Dela Rosa said he made the proposal to Acorda.
“Part of our discussion was the issue of policemen immediately opening fire…There are no options available as part of his (policeman) uniform. What’s available is (a) firearm,” said Acorda.
“So, part of our discussion is the return of whistles and other modes to warn certain individuals, establish police presence so they won’t immediately draw their firearm for (a) warning shot or whatsoever,” said Acorda.
Acorda said he welcomes the proposal of Dela Rosa, adding it might be the right time to use batons and whistles, which the PNP stopped using decades ago.
On the possible use of tasers, Acorda said such equipment can also be abused.
“Let’s see. Other countries are still using it but others have stopped using it. We are going to look into it,” said Acorda. — With Victor Reyes
