Town police probed for shooting watchman
A town police chief in Capiz is in hot water for allegedly shooting a village watchman Sunday morning in Brgy. San Esteban, Pilar town.
Investigators are looking into the culpability of Senior Police Officer 4 Morito Vega, officer-in-charge of Pilar Police Station, in the death of tanod Roger Aperocho.
A day after the incident, SPO1 Nelson Defensor of Capiz Police Provincial Office Internal Affairs Service spearheaded the motu propio investigation on Vega.
“We are gathering evidence to see if there is a probable cause to file an administrative case against SPO4 Vega,” Defensor said in television interview.
Meanwhile, CPPO officer-in-charge Supt. Mario Millaro also directed SPO3 Joaquin Ochavo of the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Section to conduct a separate investigation on the incident.
For his part, Vega said he shot Aperocho for self-defense because the latter resisted arrest when he served the warrant for homicide issued to him by the 6th Regional Trial Court Branch 66 in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo.
The town police chief said Aperocho pulled a grenade from his pocket, prompting him to shoot the watchman.
But Aperocho’s nephew Roberto Rivas Jr., who was with his uncle during the incident, said Aperocho was not carrying a grenade.
Rivas said he and his uncle were beside the road when Vega, on board a patrol car, saw them.
Vega left the vehicle and went to Aperocho and asked him if the reports are true that Aperocho is not afraid of him, Rivas added.
Aperocho supposedly denied the accusation and Vega pulled his gun and shot Aperocho on the stomach.
Rivas said Vega fired at his uncle again and when Aperocho was already on his knees and raising his hands, Vega again shot him.
He added that when he attempted to leave, Vega also aimed the gun at him and asked him about the firearm he was carrying.
But Rivas said he pulled his shirt up to showed Vega that he has no firearm.*
