Cops file raps vs man who fired bullet that sent 15-year-old into coma

MANILA — The Malabon police filed on Tuesday, a criminal complaint against the man who allegedly fired a gun on New Year’s Eve and sent 15-year-old Emilyn Villanueva in a coma.

Senior Supt. John Chua, the city police chief, said investigators recommended the filing of cases of frustrated murder and reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injuries against
Renato Sy Jr., alias “Toti.”

Chua insisted that Villanueva was not a victim of indiscriminate firing. The bullet, he said, was intended to kill Patricio Muñoz, a watchman in Barangay (village) San Agustin.  The suspect was chasing Muñoz abecause Muñoz had been reporting on Sy’s alleged illegal activities.

“Villanueva was texting, her head slightly bowed down, that’s why the bullet pierced the top of her head,” Chua said in an interview at his office.

The Department of Health and the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center earlier said they believed a stray bullet struck Villanueva because it pierced the top of her head.

“We think it’s a stray bullet kasi nanggaling sa taas (it came from the top),” said Emmanuel Montaña, director JRMMC, where Villanueva has been confined.

Chua said Muñoz was in Biacom, Malabon, about 400 meters away from where Villanueva was watching a fireworks display with her cousin, when Sy fired a shot at him.
“What we found was that place was slightly elevated from where Villanueva was,” Chua said.

Chua said Muñoz and Sy used to be neighbors on Magsaysay street but Sy eventually left.

Chua said initial investigation showed that Sy had wanted to kill Muñoz over suspicions that Muñoz had been reporting about his illegal activities.

When asked what were the suspect’s illegal activities, Chua declined to answer and said Muñoz would be the best person to interview.

Amid the conflicting government findings, the National Bureau of Investigation formally conducted a parallel probe on Tuesday.

Melanio Gatchalian, a special investigator from the NBI’s Death Investigation Division, said they would like to know what took place that night and if Villanueva, indeed, was a stray bullet victim.

“The police the girl was texting that’s why the bullet hit the top of her head. We’ll ask our ballistics division to look into that,” Gatchalian said. SFM