Jemboy was shot by cops before he jumped into the river, says friend

Jemboy Baltazar was shot by Navotas City policemen before he jumped into the river, the slain teenager's friend said Wednesday.

Sonny Boy Augustilo made his first appearance before the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee's investigation into the August 2 incident, in which 17-year-old Baltazar was shot and killed in what the cops said was a case of mistaken identity.

Initially, Augustilo said that neither was hit at first and that Baltazar dove into the water before the policemen began shooting.

“Sa sobrang takot po ni Jemboy nahakbang po siya nung tumalon tapos kung saang tubig na bumagsak dun po siya pinagbabaril nang ilang beses po,” Augustilo said.

But upon the clarification of the senators, Augustilo said that Baltazar was shot before he went under the water.

“Nung pahakbang, tumalon si Jemboy, may nakita akong dugo doon sa bangka. Nu’ng pahakbang po siyang tumalon, may tama na po pala siya,” he said.

Asked again by Senator Raffy Tulfo if Baltazar was shot before he jumped into the water, Augustilo said, “May nakita po akong bakas ng dugo sa butas eh.”

“Sa butas pa lang siya ng bangka patalon pa lang po siya pinagbabaril na po siya… may nakita po ako bakas ng dugo doon nakakalat eh” he added.

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa followed the line of questioning and asked if Baltazar dove into the water because he was scared or if he fell into the water because he was shot.

In response, Augustilo said, “Tinamaan po siya ng bala e.”

Augustilo said he did not dive into the river himself because he cannot swim. Instead, he called out that he was surrendering.

“Sumusuko na po, sumisigaw na po ako na susuko na ako. Habang sumisigaw po ako pinapuputukan pa rin nila ako,” he added.

Blood on the boat

In the latter part of the hearing, Nicanor Guillermo—Jemboy’s uncle, who searched for the boy’s body under the water—said that he recovered a part of a projectile he called a "basyo ng bala" on the floor of the boat.

He added that he saw blood on the part of the boat that was being cleaned by Baltazar and Augustilo.

“’Yung pinag-aanuhan nila Jemboy at Sonny Boy, may nakita po akong bakas ng dugo doon,” Guillermo said.

Senator Risa Hontiveros then showed photos of the blood on the part of the boat where Baltazar and Augustilo were when the incident happened.

According to Hontiveros, the photos she showed were from a resident who lives near the area of the incident and who sent them to the lawyers of Baltazar’s family.

Dela Rosa then asked why the authorities do not have the same photos.

Sergeant Aurelito Galvez, who is part of the investigating team, said they were not able to take photos because they arrived at the crime scene at around night time.

“Gabi po kasi nung nag-respond kami. Gabi na po yun, alas singko umabot po ng gabi kaya hindi po kami nakaakyat sa bangka,” Galvez said. 

An officer from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) also gave a similar reason, saying they arrived at the area around 8:15 p.m. and it was raining hard at that time.

“Negative po, sir kasi during that time, umuulan po talaga. Ang lakas po ng ulan,” Police Major Sonny Boy Tepace said.

Their answers sparked the ire of Dela Rosa, a former national police chief.

“Scene of the Crime Operations. So dapat nakuha ninyo ‘to kung talagang seryoso ang pag-imbestiga ninyo,” Dela Rosa said.

“Mawawala ba ang dugo na ‘yan kung gabi na? Kung hindi hugasan ‘yan hindi ‘yan mawawala…Tingnan mo. Sibilyan pa ang nagpakita ng picture na ganyan. Anong masasabi nila sa atin ngayon d’yan? We are inefficient with our job. We are ineffective… Simple dugo yan but it says a lot. Kayo, SOCO, hindi niyo nakita?” he went on.

Hontiveros backed Dela Rosa, saying the blood means that Baltazar was shot while he was on the boat.

"Ang  sabi niyo nga po, 'yung dugong 'yan says a lot. At 'yung na pinakasine-say niyan ay kung talagang sa tubig lang bumaril, dapat walang dugo sa bangka," she pointed out.

"So ibig sabihin, nasa bangka pa lang sina Jemboy at Sonny Boy, may natamaan na. Kasi dumugo sya diyan e," she added.

During the committee's first hearing on Jemboy's death, Police Captain Mark Joseph Carpio, the leader of the team in Jemboy’s fatal shooting, claimed that they did not see Baltazar on the boat and that the police officers only fired their guns at the water.

Carpio's supposed inconsistent statements prompted senators to cite him in contempt. — BM, GMA Integrated News