Mandaluyong cops fire at wrong car, kill 2

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BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – Two persons were killed while two others were injured after Mandaluyong City watchmen and police officers opened fire at a vehicle they mistook for a getaway car of suspects in a shooting.
According to National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Oscar Albayalde, the casualties were Jonalyn Ambaan and Jomar Hayawon, while those wounded were Eliseo Aluad Jr. and Danilo Santiago.
The earlier shooting occurred at around 10:20 p.m. on Thursday evening at a construction site in Addition Hills. Ambaan was shot on the head by a delivery man of a liquefied petroleum gas after attempting to intervene in an argument.

Ambaan was then put by her companions in a vehicle and attempted to rush her to a nearby hospital but was fired upon by police operatives after village watchmen mistook the vehicle carrying her as the getaway car of the delivery man.
“Halos 36 shells ‘yung na-recover natin doon sa crime scene,” Albayalde said. “Sinabihan kasi ‘yung mga pulis na armado raw ‘yung mga nasa loob ng sasakyan kaya bumaril sila.”
Albayalde immediately ordered the administrative relief of Mandaluyong City police chief Senior Superintendent Moises Villaceran Jr. and 10 of his men. The watchmen were also in police custody.
“We have ordered the administrative relief of the 10 cops including the team leader. For the meantime, the chief of police of Mandaluyong was also relieved,” Albayalde said in a press conference.
“We’ll see if there is a lapse on the part of the police but we are not discounting the fact na may paglabag ng police operational procedures,” he added. “An investigation will also be conducted on why the watchmen had firearms in the first place.”
Meanwhile, Malacañang said that they will fully investigate the shooting incident involving policemen in Mandaluyong City.
“This matter will be investigated fully even if there appears to be excessive force utilized by police authorities,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said. “It’s also proper that policemen involved have been disarmed and their movements restricted.”

The victims tried opening their vehicle door and shouted that they were in an emergency but this did not stop the gunfire, according to one of their kin.

“Pagkatapos hinatak sila pababa parang baboy. Alamin niyo muna kung tama ‘yung hinahabol niyo bago niyo paputukan,” a sibling said.

Three men who accompanied the victims were placed under police custody: Ruel Distor, Simeon Lumbao and Mhury Jomar.

Two village guards and nine mobile patrol policemen who responded to the incident were also taken into custody, Villaceran said. They will be investigated and will undergo paraffin tests. They could face criminal and administrative charges.

Villaceran said the village guards were reportedly misled by a group who earlier quarreled with the victims.

“Yung mga suspek daw sumakay sa Adventure na puti at tumakbo. Unknowingly, hindi pala alam ng barangay na nag-away itong grupong dalawa,” he said.

But according to the survivors who spoke with Villaceran, they thought the village guards came to assist them, but they were instead shot.

While the village guards fired first, Villaceran said policemen should have held off until it was necessary.

“Hindi pa rin pwede po basta-basta pumutok without knowing sino ang target person natin. Baka yung kalaban natin may kakayahang lumaban pa o malay mo sumuko na siya,” he said. (With a report from ABS-CBN News)/PN
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