Pubdate: Thu, 29 Jul 2004
Source: Daily Tribune, The (Philippines)
Copyright: 2004 The Tribune Publishing Co., Inc.
Contact:  http://www.tribune.net.ph/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2973
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Test)
Authors: Flor Z.Perolina and Lani Ginete, STC journalism intern

COP SHOOTS, WOUNDS BOY IN "DRUG ARREST"

A 15-year-old boy was shot and wounded by a policeman who claimed he was 
only trying to arrest the boy for selling shabu at sitio Mohon in barangay 
Tisa, this city, last Tuesday evening.

The boy, also a resident of the place, sustained a gunshot wound on his 
left body with the bullet exiting his back, and is now in critical 
condition at the Cebu City Medical Center where the policeman himself had 
brought him.

The policeman, PO1 Christopher Gabunada, after taking the boy waited the 
arrival at the hospital of responding policemen to whom he surrendered his 
.38-caliber service firearm with five live bullets and one empty shell.

Homicide investigator Zenaido Pastorfide said Gabunada's service firearm 
will be subjected to a gunpowder residue test and there are plans to put 
Gabunada and the boy under a paraffin test to shed light on the case.

Gabunada, who is assigned at the Punta Princesa police station, claimed 
that the shooting was accidental caused when the boy resisted when about to 
be arrested.

City Police acting director Melvin Gayotin said he would wait first for the 
result of the probe the Internal Affairs Service is conducting before he 
could determine if Gabunada broke the rules of engagement or not.

SPO4 Edgar Nacario, an investigator of the Punta Princesa police, said 
Gabunada alleged that the boy tried to sell him a pack of shabu.

But when Gabunada was about to make the arrest, the boy allegedly grabbed 
his gun resulting to a scuffle between the him and the boy. What happened 
next was the gun went off hitting and wounding the boy.

The boy's relatives questioned that if the two were facing each other then 
why was the boy got hit on the back. They further claimed that Gabunada is 
also engaged in illegal drugs, an accusation that the policeman denied, 
saying he is willing to undergo a drug test to prove himself.

Nacario said Gabunada went to the place to trace his lost VCD player, which 
was reported to have been sold there according to his informant. In the 
process, he met instead the boy.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D