DILG chief orders arrest of cops in teen’s killing

MANILA, Philippines – Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo has ordered the arrest of three policemen accused of killing a 13-year-old boy in Makati City early this week.

“My main order was to charge them so that they can be formally arrested and treated like criminals, because to my mind, there are no exceptions under the law,” Robredo said of Chief Inspector Angelo Germinal, Police Officer 3 Robert Riñon, and Police Officer 1 Nicolas Apostol Jr.

Robredo, who has supervisory powers over the PNP, said the three officers had been summoned to explain their actions, but since they have gone into hiding, the next step was for the authorities to file charges and to locate and apprehend them.

“Whether you’re a police officer or ordinary civilian, when the time comes that you have to be arrested, you will be arrested. You will not be treated differently,” he said in a teleconference with reporters at Camp Crame Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Makati police filed murder charges against Germinal, the commander of Precinct 5, Riñon and Apostol Jr. for allegedly shooting and killing Christian Serrano.

Investigators said Germinal and his men were on patrol at 2:50 p.m. Monday when they spotted the teenager scavenging for metal scraps in an abandoned building at Kamagong and Bagtikan Streets in Makati City.

Germinal supposedly fired two “warning” shots but one of them hit the boy in the back, killing him.

On the status of the three, Robredo said they were absent without leave, and would face administrative sanctions with the National Police Commission and, possibly the Department of Justice, on top of the criminal charges. Karen Boncocan, INQUIRER.net