Man shot for telling cop: Park your car in heaven!

A Manila policeman shot and wounded a 33-year-old man who complained about how the officer parked his car in Tondo on Friday night.

PO1 Julius Villanueva, 29, a member of the Manila Police District (MPD) theft and robbery section, voluntarily surrendered to colleagues in the Moriones substation after shooting Richard Sta. Maria of Jose Abad Santos Street in Tondo.

Sta. Maria was rushed to Metropolitan Hospital for a bullet wound in the body.

Moriones station commander Supt. Ernesto Tendero said the shooting took place at around 9:30 p.m. Friday along Quiricada Extension where Villanueva parked his car.

Tendero said Sta. Maria then approached the policeman to tell him that he could not park there.

When Villanueva introduced himself as a policeman and asked where else he could park, Sta. Maria allegedly replied in Filipino: “You can park in heaven!”

A heated argument ensued, until Villanueva, who felt insulted, drew his gun and shot Sta. Maria for allegedly threatening him.

“Villanueva said he was compelled to fire his 9 mm service pistol when Sta. Maria moved to punch him,” Tendero told the Inquirer. It was the policeman who later brought Sta. Maria to the hospital, he noted.

“Relatives and people who know Sta. Maria admitted that he likes picking a fight with anyone,” Tendero told the Inquirer.

He said the shooter and the victim’s family agreed to settle the case amicably.