Lawman shot in NCRPO raid was unarmed

MANILA, Philippines - A Caloocan City police officer who was reportedly shot by a National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) lawman during a raid on a suspected hideout of hijackers in Malabon City Thursday night was unarmed, a witness said yesterday.

Police Officer 2 Danilo Malana “was not carrying a gun when fired at by one of the (NCRPO) Highway Patrol Group (HPG) operatives,” said PO1 Ronald Nepay, assigned at the Malabon City police traffic unit and a neighbor of Malana.

“I was the one who carried him down from the second floor to brought him to the hospital for treatment of his wound,” he said.

He said the NCRPO-HPG Task Force Limbas was about to arrest suspected hijackers in Phase 3, Barangay Longos at around 10:30 p.m. when Malana looked down from the second floor terrace to find out what the commotion was about. One of the HPG policemen shot at him.

Malana was hit in the chest, and Nepay and HPG personnel brought him to the Philippine National Police General Hospital at Camp Crame.

Nepay said Malana’s wife surrendered his service firearm, a .9mm pistol he hides in a cabinet when he is off duty, to the Malabon City police station for ballistic examination.

He said of the five suspected hijackers arrested by the HPG during their operation, only Malana and another suspect were put under NCRPO custody. Malana is reportedly being linked to a group of hijackers.

“I could not think of Malana to be involved in such an activity. He is living in a single room he rents for P2,500 a month with his wife and five-month-old daughter,” Nepay said.