The Senate will conduct an investigation into the death of 17-year-old Jemboy Baltazar at the hands of Navotas City policemen, following the resolution filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros and during the privilege speech of Sen. Raffy Tulfo.
According to Raymund Dadpaas' report on MBC Network News, Hontiveros questioned the excessive ‘use of force’ of the cops on her filed resoluton, asking the the reason of shooting Baltazar immediately.
She pushes to investigate the police's operational procedure because Baltazar’s death is not the first case that the police have committed.
In his privilege speech, Tulfo criticized the Navotas City policemen for their failure to follow the PNP Operational Procedures.
He said that the incident is so unacceptable that right after being fatally shot, the cops will claim that the case is a ‘mistaken identity, as it turned out that Baltazar was not the target.
The senator questioned how a teenager who just boarded a boat became a threat to the lives of the policemen while they were carrying 9 mm pistols and M16 armalite rifles.
Moreover, the cops left Baltazar drowning, and the latter’s body was recovered after three hours. It also added to the Navotas City policemen’s reason that the body-worn camera they brought during the operation was not used as it was depleted.
Tulfo believed that there was a cover-up in the case since the case filed against the six police officers who conducted the operation is a light case of Reckless Imprudence Resulting in Homicide, saying that these cops should face more serious charges.
Meanwhile, the Navotas City police officers headed by Col. Alan Umipig is expected to face Baltazar’s family in the Senate as soon as the investigation is scheduled.