MANILA, Philippines – Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service (PNP IAS) Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo ordered the relief of, and filing of administrative charges against, the Navotas City police chief in relation to the killing of 17-year-old Jerhode Jemboy Baltazar.

In a statement on Tuesday, August 15, the PNP IAS said Triambulo made the directives after their investigation revealed that Navotas City police chief Police Colonel Allan Umipig allegedly instructed the team leader of the police operatives to exclude the names of 11 police officers from their reports. The 11 cops were involved in Baltazar’s killing, the IAS added.

Umipig will face administrative cases for dishonesty and command responsibility. Meanwhile, the 11 police officers, whose identities were concealed, will also face charges for abandoning Jemboy and for other possible violations of the PNP operations procedure, the PNP IAS added.

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After Jemboy’s death, a total of 29 cops at the Navotas City police sub-station 4 were relieved from their posts. The six cops tagged in the killing identified as 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, face a complaint of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.

On August 2, the six cops shot Jemboy while the teenager and his friend were cleaning their boat in the river near their home in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran, Navotas City. It was later discovered that Jemboy was not the target of the police operation.

The police said they were looking for a shooting suspect in the village and got a tip that the suspect allegedly boarded a boat. Jemboy is the latest victim killed by the police in their operations. – Rappler.com