Cop who shot subordinate

Government prosecutors approved yesterday the filing of homicide charges filed against a Manila police inspector who shot dead his subordinate, despite the protestations of the victim's kin and friends who insisted that circumstances surrounding the killing indicated murder.

Chief inquest prosecutor Nelson Salva ordered the arrest of Inspector Reynaldo "Boy" Chico, assistant chief of the Western Police District (WPD)'s Detective Trackers Section, for shooting to death his subordinate, SPO1 Celeste Agustin in Malate, Thursday morning.

Chico, however, maintained the shooting was accidental,

Since only homicide charges were filed , Chico can be released after posting P40,000 bail.

Meanwhile, Agustin's relatives and friends, claimed that the investigation of the case was whitewashed. They pointed out the lapse of 12 hours before homicide investigators submitted a spot report.

"They could have been patching up loopholes in making it appear the shooting was accidental," charged Agustin's wife, Grace.

A number of Agustin's colleagues said the victim had already raised his arms in surrender, when Chico confronted him outside the Lotus bar after the two had earlier figured in a fistfight.

They said another cop caught Chico's hand holding the gun but Chico bent his wrist downwards toward Agustin and shot him. "Chico intentionally shot Agustin," they maintained, refuting the police report of continuing action, as Chico spent time arguing with bar staff to get back his gun, before confronting Agustin.