MANILA, Philippines – A policeman surrendered to the Manila Police District on Monday, March 5, after admitting he shot to death the 13-year-old boy in Tondo, Manila, Saturday night.
Police Officer 2 Omar Malinao is in the custody of the Manila Police District Homicide section, claiming responsibility for the killing Aldrin Pineda near the slaughterhouse in Vitas, Tondo, last Friday, March 2.
Pineda was gunned down by a masked man while hanging out with his friends near the fence of a slaughterhouse.
The second among 5 children, he was set to graduate in April at the Vicente Lim Elementary School, and had dreamed of becoming a policeman.
Pineda's friend “Nano,” a 13-year-old like him, witnessed the shooting. "Nano" said the masked man wore a white shirt and “police pants.” He, however, could not clearly identify the assailant’s face.
MPD Spokesperson Erwin Margarejo said Malinao is not yet considered a suspect, and that Malinao's role in the case would be confirmed based on testimonial evidence.
“He still has the right to get his own legal counsel,” Margarejo said.
Malinao’s gun had been submitted for ballistic tests. A slug recovered from the crime scene was also submitted by the Pineda family.
For Aldrin’s grandmother Lorenza, the case is not over until justice is served.
“I want him (the cop) to be imprisoned. I want him to pay for what he’s done,” Lorenza Pineda told Rappler in a phone interview.
In the meantime, the Pinedas are hoping for positive results from the ballistic tests. – Rappler.com
