Call center agent shot, wounded by Laguna cop

SAN PEDRO CITY, Laguna, Philippines – A highway patrol policeman based in Laguna shot and wounded his male friend in what the policeman claimed to be an accidental shooting early on Sunday.

Superintendent Cecilio Ison Jr., San Pedro City police chief, identified the victim as Randy Vasay, 30, a call center employee and a resident of Barangay (village) San Vicente in this city.

He said Vasay was due to undergo an operation in a hospital Sunday afternoon in Muntinlupa City to have the bullet removed from his head.

Police investigators learned that Vasay came from a drinking binge with four other friends, among them the suspect, Police Officer 2 Ivan Clarence delos Reyes, when the shooting happened around 4 a.m. also in Barangay San Vicente.

Ison said the group, onboard Delos Reyes’ car, was on their way home but had to stop along Pacita Avenue when Delos Reyes told them that he had to pee.

“Their other friends said the gun tucked in his (Delos Reyes) pants just suddenly went off as he peed,” Ison said.

Vasay, who was then seated at the car’s back seat, was hit in the head.

Despite the witnesses’ accounts, Ison said they would still have the car and the bullet’s trajectory investigated to determine if it was an accident.

Delos Reyes is an active policeman assigned at the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) regional police Highway Patrol Group.

Delos Reyes claimed that he personally owned the gun, a .45 caliber pistol, and that he was off duty at the time.

“We are still checking the records if the gun was his or if it was a service firearm,” Ison said.

Delos Reyes drove the victim to the hospital and turned himself in to the investigating policemen, who were alerted by the hospital staff, Ison said.