Witness tags cop who killed bystander in Tondo shootout

A witness has come forward and identified the policeman who shot and killed a bystander at the height of a shootout among feuding officers in Tondo, Manila the other day, disputing earlier reports that the victim was caught in a crossfire.

This developed as the two camps that figured in the firefight filed charges and counter-charges against each other at the Manila fiscal’s office yesterday.

According to Senior Inspector Dominador Arevalo Jr., chief of the Western Police District (WPD) Homicide Section, the witness pointed to PO3 Vicente Sunga Jr., detailed at the Central Police District (CPD), as the one who shot Rodolfo Hernandez, 43, a pedicab driver.

Sunga denied the allegation of the witness.

"That’s ridiculous. That witness was planted by our adversary. How could I have shot the victim when our line of fire was toward the house," he said.

Hernandez died at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center while undergoing treatment for two bullet wounds in the back.

Sunga, together with his cousins PO1 Virgilio Sunga, detailed at the PNP-PRO in Southern Tagalog, and PO3 Enrico Sunga, of the Western District Traffic Office, shot it out with PO2 Bayani Nery, of the Western Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, over a simple traffic altercation along Panday Pira street.

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

Nery claimed Sunga’s group fired at him even when he was already inside his house.

The officer said he was forced to retaliate to protect his wife and five children who were also inside the house.

Sunga’s group claimed that Nery was aided by his hired goons, who were also firing at them.

Nery and his wife Ivy filed charges of frustrated and attempted homicide and malicious mischief against the cousins.

Police also filed homicide charges against Sunga Jr. for the death of the bystander.

The cousins filed attempted and frustrated homicide charges against Nery.