MANILA, Philippines – Seventeen-year-old Jerhode Jemboy Baltazar, who was killed by cops in Navotas City on August 2, was laid to rest on Wednesday, August 16, shortly before 5pm.

Jemboy was escorted to his final resting place in La Loma Cemetery, Caloocan City, by his family, friends, and even strangers who call for justice.

At around 1 pm, the teenager’s hearse left their house in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran, Navotas City, for his final funeral Mass at the San Lorenzo Ruiz and Companion Martyrs Parish Church. Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), led the Holy Mass.

In his homily, David admonished the police, saying that cops are not the law, but enforcers of the law. The bishop also said Jemboy was murdered, and his killing by police should not have been classified as mere reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. 

Aside from the CBCP president, over 10 priests, including activist-priests Fr. Flavie Villanueva and Fr. Robert Reyes, helped in the Mass for Jemboy’s soul. The priests also carried the boy’s casket to the hearse that held a big photo of Jemboy.

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The teenager was buried on the same day the family of Kian delos Santos commemorates the teenager’s sixth death anniversary.

Similarly, Kian was mercilessly killed by cops, but in a dark alley in Caloocan City at the height of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war in August 2017. Jemboy was also laid to rest in the same cemetery where Kian was buried by his loved ones.

On August 2, Jemboy and his friend were cleaning their boat in the river near their home when cops from Philippine National Police (PNP) Navotas City arrived. After issuing a warning shot, the cops rained gunshots at the two, killing Jemboy.

The police, through Navotas City police chief Police Colonel Allan Umipig, claimed the teenager jumped from the boat and swam in the river, where he was shot by police. However, Jemboy’s family said the teenager fell into the water after sustaining gunshot wounds.

It was revealed later that Jemboy was not the target of the police operation. The police said they were chasing a shooting suspect in the village, and received a tip that the assailant boarded a boat.

Jemboy’s body was submerged in the water for three hours, before a relative recovered him at around 5 pm. According to forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun, who conducted an autopsy on the teenager’s remains, Jemboy died due to brain injuries, with drowning as contributing factor.

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TIMELINE: The killing of 17-year-old Jemboy Baltazar in Navotas

There was a chance he could have survived if Jemboy had not fallen into the water, because his injuries were not immediately fatal, Fortun added.

The six cops tagged in the killing were identified as follows: Police Executive Master Sergeant Roberto Balais Jr., Police Staff Sergeant (PSSg) Antonio Bugayong, PSSg Gerry Maliban, PSSg Nikko Pines Esquillon, Police Corporal Edmark Jake Blanco, and Patrolman Benedict Mangada.

They will be charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. A total of 29 cops have also been relieved from their posts to take refresher courses following Baltazar’s death. – Rappler.com