Authorities said Monday that a mentally ill man died after being shot by a barangay guard in Tondo, Manila, for being a curfew violator.
CCTV footage in Barangay 156 shows security guard Cesar Panlaqui visiting a man past 9 pm on Saturday, curfew time.
When the man approached him and seemed to be beating him with a rattan, Panlaqui suddenly backed away and then pulled out and fired a gun.
But the man also backed away and walked away. There he was followed by the barangay guard and shot him.
An investigation by the Manila Police District (MPD) revealed that the 59-year-old man was mentally ill.
He was wandering around during the curfew, so the guard apprehended him up, which ended up in a shooting.
“Nakita natin dito sa CCTV footage ng barangay na ‘yong biktima at yung suspek natin nagkaroon ng verbal confrontation,” said Police Capt. Philipp Ines, public informaiton officer of MPD.
“Pero nalaman nga natin na itong biktima na ito ay may problema sa pag-iisip,” he added.
Barangay guard shoots dead mentally ill curfew violator in Manila
Panlaqui was arrested Sunday at his home. Police are still investigating whether the gun he used has the relevant documents.
The suspect has already agreed to the inquest proceeding for the murder complaint.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government has also instructed the Philippine National Police to conduct a more in-depth investigation into the case for possible abuse in the implementation of health protocols.
This is not the first time that authorities have apprehended curfew violators.
In May, an 18-year-old man with special needs was killed after being shot by police in an operation in Valenzuela.
According to the Valenzuela police statement, Edwin Arnigo allegedly snatched a gun from police Senior Master Sgt. Cristopher Salcedo so he was shot.
A curfew violator died in Laguna in April after allegedly being beaten by a barangay tanod.
A CT scan of the victim showed a fracture or crack in the back of his skull, but the autopsy has not yet come out, so it cannot be said whether it was due to slipping or kicking.
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.