Cop in fatal shooting: 'Twas an accident

A Manila police official who allegedly shot dead a subordinate outside a karaoke bar in Malate early Thursday surrendered yesterday. He claimed the shooting was accidental.

Inspector Reynaldo Chico, assistant chief of the Western Police District's (WPD) detective trackers, said he and victim SPO1 Celeste Agustin were on a surveillance operation when they figured in an argument that led to a fistfight. In the course of the fight, he shot Agustin "by accident."

Chico's claims, however, were belied by policemen and witnesses. They said Chico was the one who started the fight when he slapped Agustin and that the unarmed victim was already about to board his vehicle after the fight was broken up by colleagues, when Chico shot him in the stomach after lying in wait for him. They said Agustin had raised his arms when again confronted by Chico and another cop had caught Chico's hand with gun, but Chico bent his wrist downwards toward Agustin and shot him.

They insisted that Chico should be charged for murder since he "intentionally shot" Agustin.

Senior Inspector Daniel Salvacion, for his part, said they filed homicide charges against Chico and that it is up to Agustin's family or colleagues to come up with evidence proving the killing was intentional.

"Investigators failed to find any aggravating circumstances to warrant the filing of murder charges," he claimed.

Agustin's family appealed to WPD head Chief Superintendent Avelino Razon to prevent a "whitewash", citing that the initial police report was prepared 12 hours long after the shooting and that the cops involved turned up only after 15 hours.