Teenager shot dead after stabbing spree

MANILA, Philippines - A policeman shot dead Sunday a teenager who went amok and stabbed eight people, including another policeman, in the Pasig City police station.

Jonathan Tiplado, 17, jobless and a resident of Buli Creek in Barangay San Miguel, died on the spot from four gunshot wounds in the chest.

Senior Police Officer 1 Rogelio Baltazar surrendered to his superiors after shooting Tiplado.

Among those Tiplado stabbed were SPO2 Rodolfo Salamanca, desk officer at the time of the incident; Jayson Imperial, 17; Niño Solomon; Von Rommel Oviz; John Keith Jimenez; Benjamin Perez; Alexander Burata; and Joseph Brenquillo, 22. Salamanca remains confined at a hospital, where his condition was described as “serious.”

Eastern Police District director Chief Superintendent Lino Calingasan said Tiplado was brought to the police station at about 11:45 p.m. Sunday, minutes after he stabbed Brenquillo near his house in Barangay San Miguel.

Calingasan said since Tiplado was a minor, he was kept along a hallway where his fellow minors were “temporarily detained” prior to their transfer to the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Police said Tiplado allegedly claimed he had wads of money in his underwear, prompting his fellow inmates to frisk him. Tiplado then took out a fan knife and stabbed Imperial, Solomon, Oviz, and Jimenez in quick succession.

Salamanca was manning his post in front of the jail. He saw the commotion and rushed to the area to pacify Tiplado, who stabbed him in the stomach and ran out of the police station.

Salamanca and barangay watchmen who brought Tiplado to the police station ran after him. Baltazar, attracted by the commotion, joined the chase.

Upon reaching Barangay Sta. Cruz, the pursuing policemen and barangay watchmen shouted for help and caught the attention of Perez, who tried to stop Tiplado. Perez, too, was stabbed by the suspect.

When the lawmen cornered Tiplado, Baltazar said he asked the teenager to surrender. Tiplado, however, allegedly tried to stab Baltazar several times before the policeman shot him with his government-issued .9mm pistol.

Baltazar said he shot Tiplado several more times when the teenager stood up and attacked him again.

Crime scene investigators recovered four shells from a .9mm pistol and a fan knife belonging to Tiplado.

A police spokesman said Baltazar “had no other recourse but to open fire” on Tiplado. Police could not say how the boy managed to sneak his weapon into the station without it being discovered.