Cop kills Manila councilor aide’s son

MANILA, Philippines - A policeman allegedly shot dead a 16-year-old boy, whose father works for Manila Councilor Irma Alfonso, in Tondo Monday afternoon.

Policemen from Smokey Mountain precinct accused Cyrus Florentino of robbery, but his father, Christopher, insisted otherwise.

Christopher told The STAR that six police officers broke into his cousin’s third-floor apartment at Building 24 in Aroma Compound and shot his son, who was sleeping at the time, point blank. They also reportedly planted a makeshift gun beside the boy to bolster their claim that the boy engaged them in a shootout, he said.

Christopher said neighbors told him the police were allegedly looking for “Ingkong,” a suspected robber, and that the lawmen claimed his son knew the suspect.

He said his son knew the suspect “because everyone knows Ingkong.” He said his son may have used model airplane glue to get high but he was not a robber.

Christopher said he tried to get the name of the policeman who shot his son, but no one had given him details by 9 p.m.

The Manila Police District’s homicide section, which investigated the case, reported that Police Officer 2 Roy Navarro shot Cyrus, but in an encounter.

Navarro’s group claimed that truck driver Marlo Rossel was robbed near Aroma Compound at about 2 p.m. Rossel allegedly followed the robbers up to Building 24 then went to the Smokey Mountain precinct and complained.

Acting on the complaint, Navarro, PO2 Ronald Allan Martin, PO1 Dennis Buenaventura and PO1 Jolito Ramoneso went to the building.

They claimed they chased Cyrus, who allegedly tried to shoot at them so Navarro shot him.

Christopher scoffed at the lawmen’s story, saying they “killed my child in his sleep.”