Boy killed in Navotas shootout

A nine-year-old boy was killed while a 32-year-old woman was seriously injured by stray bullets, allegedly coming from the sidearm of a maritime police officer, during an operation against a suspect in the killing of a fish trader Sunday afternoon in Navotas, authorities said in a belated report yesterday.

In a report submitted yesterday, Superintendent Demosthenes Felix, Maritime Command chief at the NFPC, identified the lone fatality as Daniel Baruc of Market 3, Navotas Fishport Complex (NFPC), North Bay Boulevard North (NBBN), Navotas.

Baruc was taken to the Tondo Medical Center, but was declared dead some five hours later while undergoing treatment for a gunshot wound in the forehead, said a report from the Navotas police.

Seriously wounded and now confined at the same hospital for a gunshot wound in the chest was Arlyn Pelayo, of the same address as Baruc.

Chief Inspector Michael Angelo Zuniga, Navotas police investigation chief, prepared a separate report identifying the suspect in his report only as "Inspector Ascano, with seven others", all assigned at the Maritime Police Station at the NFPC.

The same report said the maritime operatives were after suspects engaged in illegal cockfighting (tupada).

The STAR gathered that Zuniga could be referring to Senior Inspector Regalado Ascano Jr., deputy chief of the NCR Maritime Command. The seven other operatives named with him remain unidentified.

Felix, who was Ascano’s superior, said in a report that Ascano has been held under technical arrest by his office and is now under the custody of the unidentified investigator.

He added that charges are being readied against the suspect.

Felix said Ascano could be guilty of accidental firing in the cited incident.

The maritime police chief said a concerned citizen called up his office saying a certain "Anton," a suspect in the alleged killing of a fish trader at the Virgie Consignacion, was spotted at the squatters’ area at the NFPC.

A team was formed led by Ascano, who proceeded to verify the information.

When accosted, the suspect allegedly resisted, prompting Ascano to draw his gun. At this point, the suspect grabbed the officer’s gun and a scuffle for possession ensued.

It was during this time that the gun fired, hitting the two innocent victims.

As the police was distracted and attended to the two victims, the suspect made good his escape.

The TMC later called to say that Baruc was declared dead by attending physician Carlito Padilla.