Laborer’s kin shot dead by rookie cop cry for justice

Three-year-old Ma. Jeinil Bastistiana will celebrate Christmas tomorrow without her father which according to her is just sleeping.

Unknown to the toddler, her father will no longer wake up, the latter died from a single bullet wound in the chest courtesy of a toughie rookie policeman.

Jeirus Bastistiana, 37, a garments factory worker, of 1644 Area I, Sawata street, Maypajo, Caloocan City was buried yesterday at the North Cemetery in Manila, with his widow Nelly, four months pregnant, and her kin crying for justice for his untimely death.

On Dec. 17, at about 3 a.m., Bastistiana hurriedly left their home to meet his wife’s relatives at Pier 8 in Tondo who arrived from the province for a vacation this Christmas. While walking in front of the Maypajo Public Market along J.P. Rizal street, to take a jeepney ride, Bastistiana accidentally bumped one of three policemen who reportedly had just come out of a videoke bar with a young woman in tow.

Witnesses said they overheard Bastistiana saying "sorry ho!" But the cop he bumped allegedly got furious, pulled out his caliber .38 revolver and fired a shot in the air. Frightened, Bastistiana tried to run away but stumbled. The policemen then picked Bastistiana up, who, by then, begged for his life. But one of the cops, later identified as PO1 Jerrymia Soley, a native of Baguio City and assigned at the Northern Police District-Provisional Patrol Unit under Chief Inspector Genesis Tolejano, allegedly shot him point blank in the chest. Bastistiana, though wounded, was able to run to the nearby Martinez Hospital where he was reportedly advised by the attending doctors to transfer him to another hospital claiming they have inadequate facilities for his serious condition.

Nelly said they were forced to hire a passenger jeepney that rushed the victim to the Jose Reyes Hospital sans aid from the Martinez Hospital staff. But unfortunately, her husband died along the way.

In the afternoon of the same day, Soley surrendered to the Caloocan City police with his gun and a 9-inch fan knife which he claimed belonged to the victim. He reportedly claimed that Bastistiana attacked and assaulted him, forcing him to shoot the latter in self defense.

Barangay Chairman Maxima Santos and barangay tanod Raquel Yabut, the victim’s neighbor, however, attested to the "good character" of Bastistiana and alleged that Soley is a known toughie in the Maypajo market area.

Soley was charged with homicide and was reportedly ordered released for further investigation by a certain Fiscal Yu of Caloocan City court which acording to the victim’s relatives was "unfair."

They are appealing for help from NPDO director Chief Superintendent Vidal Querol and National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Edgar Aglipay and other concerned agencies for fear of a cover up of the case. – Pete Laude