15-year-old boy kills pal over girl in Marikina

MANILA, Philippines — A teenager in Marikina City was shot dead by his friend early Tuesday morning in what police described was a “crime of passion.”

Chief Insp. Eduardo Cayetano, head of the Marikina police’s investigation and detection management section, said that 16-year-old “Dan” died from a gunshot wound in the head after the 15-year-old suspect, a certain “Omay,” fired at him at close range at around 12:25 a.m. on Tuesay.

Cayetano said that Dan, his 15-year-old girlfriend and their friends were playing cards outside a friend’s house on Mais Street in Barangay Tumana when the suspect arrived and confronted the victim. He added that the suspect, who immediately left after the confrontation, used to be the boyfriend of the victim’s girlfriend.

The police official said that the suspect came back a few minutes later armed with a gun and shot the victim at close range in the head. After shooting the victim, the suspect fled to adjacent Malunggay Street, bringing with him the gun.

The victim was brought by his friends to the Saint Vincent Hospital, where he was declared to be brain dead and later pronounced dead.

Cayetano said that the suspect’s family was mum when asked about the 15-year-old’s whereabouts and where he got the gun he used to kill the victim. It remains unclear how long the victim has been in a relationship with the suspect’s former girlfriend.

Senior Supt. Vincent Calanoga, the Marikina City Police chief, said that the suspect’s father had no stable job. He added that police has started a manhunt operation against the suspect, who would be charged with murder. SMF