Cop shoots boy dead

A nine-year-old boy was shot dead Thursday night in Parañaque City allegedly by a Pasay policeman who claimed to be running after a drug pusher.

The victim was identified as John Rendell Enriquez, of Dimasalang Street, Parañaque. He sustained a gunshot wound in the chest. He was brought to the Sta. Rita Hospital in the city and was later transferred to San Juan de Dios Hospital in Pasay City where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect, PO3 Alberto Aladano, 39, assigned at the Police Community Precinct 9 in Pasay City, voluntarily surrendered to arresting officers.

Senior Superintendent Oscar Catalan, Pasay City police chief, said Aladano has been arrested before for extortion.

Initial investigation showed that the shooting incident happened at around 6:30 p.m. at the corner of Bagong Silang and Dimasalang Streets.

According to Parañaque police chief Superintendent Roland Estilles, Aladano claimed he was about to buy milk for his son when he saw a certain "Baroy" selling shabu.

Aladano tried to arrest the man but the latter ran away and a chase ensued.

Then, Baroy allegedly aimed a gun at him, prompting him to shoot, Aladano said.

But Aladano hit Enriquez instead who was reportedly playing in the street. Baroy got away.

Many loopholes

In separate interviews, both Estilles and Catalan said they were not buying Aladano’s story.

"There are many loopholes in his story. He can’t make an arrest without coordinating with the Parañaque police unless it was an official mission. He was in civilian clothes because he was off-duty, and there were no witnesses that corroborated his story that there was a man selling shabu in the area," Estilles said.

For his part, Catalan said that two years ago, when he was still the head of the Southern Police District-District Intelligence and Investigation Division (SPD-DIID), Aladano was already arrested in an entrapment operation for allegedly extorting money from a drug dealer.

But Catalan said the case against the policeman did not prosper after the complainant desisted.

The police are set to file homicide charges against Aladano. The suspect will also face an administrative charge that could lead to his dimissal, Estilles said.