Bystander killed in cops’ shootout

The streets of Tondo, Manila became a virtual war zone yesterday morning when feuding policemen opened fire at each other, resulting in the death of a bystander and triggering panic among residents.

The five-minute shootout, which took place at the corner of Panday Pira and F. Varona streets in Tondo, ended only after heavily armed officers from the Western Police District arrived.

The arrested policemen were identified as PO2 Bayani Nery, 29, of the Western Criminal Investigation and Detection Group; PO1 Virgilio Sunga, 35, detailed at PRO in Southern Tagalog; PO3 Vicente Sunga Jr., 37, of the Central Police District; and PO3 Enrico Sunga, 39, of the Western District Traffic Office.

Despite the firefight, the four policemen were unscathed.

Seized from them were four caliber .9 mm Beretta pistols and four rifles.

The lone fatality was identified as Rodolfo Hernandez, 43, a pedicab driver, of Panday Pira street, Tondo.

He died while undergoing treatment at the Mary Johnston Hospital for a gunshot wound in the body.

Residents said the victim was hit by a stray bullet from one of the officers.

Investigators said Nery was about to park his car in front of his house when it was blocked by the car of Virgilio.

A verbal altercation followed, with Virgilio threatening to come back after Nery pointed his gun at him.

Minutes later, Virgilio came back with his cousins — all of them policemen. They were armed with handguns and rifles.

A shootout then ensued, with Nery firing from inside his house, alternately using his pistol and a rifle.

The entire neighborhood was thrown into panic and chaos as bullets rained from all sides.

Residents said the fatality was caught in the crossfire.

Sunga’s group, however, had a different version of the shooting incident.

He said Nery fired first, but failed to hit him, prompting him to call his cousins for backup. The cousins said Nery was aided by his hired goons who were also firing at them.

Nery filed charges of frustrated homicide against the three policemen, even as all four of them are set to undergo paraffin tests. Their firearms would be subjected to ballistic tests to determine which of them hit the victim.