By Aron Recuenco
The bullet that hit six-year-old Gian Habal in the head came from the handgun of a Caloocan City policeman who has been claiming that the death of a boy was an offshoot of a shootout with a wanted man.
"Advance information from the Crime Laboratory shows that the gun surrendered by Police Corporal Rocky delos Reyes was the one used in the killing of the child," said Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
Delos Reyes, it was recalled, turned over a Caliber .45 pistol when he surrendered a few hours after the death of Gian.
Delos Reyes earlier claimed that Gian was accidentally shot, either by him or by the wanted man he was then chasing in Barangay 178 in Camarin, Caloocan City on April 28.
He said he was in the area when he crossed paths with a wanted person. This, he said, triggered a shootout.
But relatives of the Gian dispute delos Reyes claim of an encounter and said that the cop even shot the mother of the victim on the foot when she tried to block him to prevent his escape.
Even Eleazar would not buy the story of delos Reyes.
"I believe that there was no shootout based on the pieces of evidence we obtained," said Eleazar.
It was recalled that Eleazar visited the wake of Gian in Caloocan City and assured the family of immediate and appropriate action based on the result of the investigation he had ordered.
And since the probe indicates that delos Reyes was not telling the truth, Eleazar said he would do everything in his power to give justice to Gian.
"I assure you that this Corporal Delos Reyes will be dismissed. His days are numbered as a member of the Philippine National Police," said Eleazar.
Delos Reyes was also slapped with a case of murder, aside from the administrative cases that were leveled against him.