Boy, 12, shot by cop dies

A 12-year-old boy, who was shot with an Armalite rifle by a drunken policeman in Teresa, Rizal last March 30, died yesterday.

Doctors at the Morong municipal hospital declared Rannie Mamerto, a graduating Grade 6 student, dead at 1:30 a.m.

"Hindi na daw gumagana ang systems niya. Nagka-impeksyon ang kanyang bituka at paa (His systems failed. His intestines and feet got infected)," a police investigator quoted the boy’s doctor as saying.

Police have filed murder and frustrated murder charges against the suspect, PO2 Rey—naldo Pantaleon, assigned to the Baras police.

Mamerto’s parents vowed to get justice for their son’s death.

"Itutuloy daw nila ang demanda para magkaroon ng hustisya ang kanilang anak (They would pursue the case to get justice for their son)," a police investigator said.

Police said the drunken Pan—taleon rushed out of his house carrying an Armalite rifle at 1 p.m. last March 30 to confront those who had thrown stones at his house.

Pantaleon and the Mamertos are neighbors in Sitio Guava Hills in Barangay Bagong Nayon, Teresa town.

However, the policeman found only Mamerto and Elton John Lacsa walking in the street and opened fire at them.

Mamerto was hit in the back, thigh and arm, and Lacsa in the right ear. Their companion, an eight-year-old boy, managed to hide in a nearby house.

Responding policemen arrested Pantaleon and seized the Armalite rifle. They found more than 15 empty shells at the crime scene.

Police said the three boys were on their way to take a bath in a deep well near Pantaleon’s house when the incident happened.

Residents could not say if the three boys were, indeed, the ones who threw stones at Pantaleon’s house.