Barangay chief accused of killing cop, jeepney barker

MANILA — A barangay chairman is facing two counts of murder for allegedly killing a rookie cop and a jeepney barker in full view of Caloocan City residents on Saturday afternoon.

Barangay 128 Chairman Ronald Romero remains confined in Chinese General Hospital for sustaining gun shot wounds to the leg and back. But he was placed under arrest as of Saturday night, said Caloocan police chief, Supt. Bartolome Bustamante in an interview.

Bustamante said Romero would face two counts of murder for the deaths of PO1 Richmond Mataga and a barker from Quezon City only known as Michael. Romero will also be charged with frustrated homicide for shooting another bystander. Bustamante said they might file the case on Sunday night or Monday morning.

Bustamante said Mataga and his girlfriend Jhoanna Clarisse Gabucan were on board a motorcycle near the corner of Binhagan and Cabatuan streets in Barangay 129 when they heard successive gunshots.

Sensing something was wrong, Mataga rushed to the site in civilian clothes and saw Romero shooting Michael.

“From there, he saw [Romero] shooting Michael who was already slumped on the street,” said Bustamante, adding it was not year clear how the cop tried to stop the barangay chairman from shooting the victim.

Witnesses told Bustamante that Mataga shot Romero in the leg to stop him from shooting the barker, who previously got engaged in a fight with the village chairman.

The village chief shot back and hit Mataga in the chest, said Bustamante. Autopsy showed that Mataga sustained three gunshot wounds close to his heart.

“[Romero’s] actions were uncalled for. He was a person in authority.  In as far as Michael was concerned, his job was only to incapacitate a person, not to kill someone. Then, his job is to bring that person to the hospital too,” Bustamante said.

“As to our cop, he was doing his duty. What happened was really sad. He has no right to kill him. It’s not right that he shot him in close range after seeing him fall down already. He should have respected the process. But no, there was clear intention to kill. The intention to kill was deliberate,” he added.

Bustamante said after filing the case, they would transfer Romero to their local jail.  SFM