13-year-old shoots boy, 5, with shotgun

ILOILO CITY — As he was wont to do, a 13-year-old hoseboy here got the paltik (homemade) 12-gauge shotgun of his employer, a policeman, to guard their residence Friday night.

Nightly, Jojo (not his real name) would sleep in the sala with the firearm, while his master, P03 Celedonio Gergos Jr., was on duty in nearby Mina town.

But at about 9 p.m. Friday, while he was going to the living room, he unknowingly bumped Gergos’ five-year-old son who was watching television then, causing the shotgun to go off, hitting the boy in the head.

The boy failed to reach the hospital alive. Jojo tried to escape but was cornered near the highway.

Jojo was employed last May, and Gergos taught him how to use the shotgun.

Police are filing a case of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide against Jojo but are still unsure whether Gergos can also be held liable for his son’s death. — Leo Solinap