Pasay cop faces charges over videoke bar killing

MANILA, Philippines—A police officer is facing criminal and administrative charges after he shot dead a man who threatened him with a beer bottle in a videoke bar in Pasay City, police said Thursday.

Police Officer 1 Bernardino Meneses, 35, voluntarily surrendered to Pasay City police after he gunned down Cecilio Datul, 30, at the DNS Videoke Bar in Pasay City at around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Southern Police District Chief Inspector Jenny Tecson said.

The victim, a helper at the Pasay City Public Market, was killed with a lone gunshot wound in the head, Tecson said.

Tecson said that Datul picked on the police officer, who was also drinking at the bar. She said that Datul’s companion tried to stop him from annoying Meneses but the market helper still stood up and brandished a beer bottle in front of the policeman.

Meneses fired a warning shot but that did not stop Datul from moving toward Meneses prompting the police officer to shoot him, she said.

Datul’s body was taken to the Rizal Funeral Parlor for autopsy.

Investigation on the case was ongoing, said Tecson, adding that Meneses, assigned to the Mobile Patrol Unit of Pasay City police, is now in police custody facing charges of grave misconduct and murder.