Arrest warrant out for cop who shot teen scavenger

MANILA, Philippines - A Makati court has issued a warrant for the arrest of a former Makati police officer who allegedly shot dead a 13-year-old boy scavenging for scrap metal at an abandoned building last May, officials said yesterday.

Acting city police chief Superintendent Jaime Santos said agents from the National Bureau of Investigation went to his office yesterday morning to serve the warrant for Chief Inspector Angelo Germinal, a former station commander of the Makati Police Community Precinct 5.

“I told the agents that he (Germinal) is no longer with the Makati police and has been reassigned to the National Capital Region Police Office immediately after the incident,” Santos said.

The warrant was issued Nov. 14 by Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 140 Judge Christina Sulit.

Germinal and his men, PO3 Robert Rinion and PO1 Nicolas Apostol Jr., were earlier tagged in the May 9 shooting of Christian Serrano.

The Makati police filed murder charges against Germinal as well as Rinion and Apostol, who were allegedly with him when the incident occurred.

Germinal, Rinion and Apostol are also facing administrative charges before the National Police Commission.

Records state Serrano was shot dead while scavenging for scrap metal at about 2:50 p.m. at the abandoned building at the corner of Bagtikan and Kamagong streets. Serrano was shot once in the back and was declared dead on arrival at the Ospital ng Makati.

Witnesses later tagged Germinal as the one who had shot Serrano after they were presented photographs of all the personnel of the Makati police.