Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian on Monday said his office is investigating the incident where an 18-year-old man was shot dead by a policeman during a raid on an illegal cockfighting activity.

Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian on Monday said his office is investigating the incident where an 18-year-old man was shot dead by a policeman during a raid on an illegal cockfighting activity.
Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Gatchalian said he has talked with the mother of the victim who said her son has special needs.
“Before I talk to the police I have to listen to the side of the mother first. Nakita ko yung [I saw the] police report but that’s their report. We need to listen also to the details from the parents,” he said.
Gatchalian said based on the statement of the mother, her son was afraid of policemen which made it unlikely for him to fight with a law enforcer as claimed by the police.
The police, on the other hand, said the teenager grabbed the service firearm of one of the policemen performing the raid, resulting in a scuffle.
“As our personnel were effecting the arrest of the people involved, one of the three arrested suspects grabbed the service firearm of one of the policemen which resulted in a scuffle,” said Philippine National Police chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar in a statement.
“The service firearm went off and hit one of the three suspects later identified as Edwin Cabantugan Arnigo.”
Arnigo was declared dead on arrival at Valenzuela Medical Center where he was brought by police operatives, Eleazar said.
Eleazar did not identify the policeman involved in the scuffle but said he has a rank of Police Senior Master Sergeant who is now under restrictive custody and disarmed as a matter of investigative procedure.
Eleazar said he has directed the PNP’s Internal Affairs Service to conduct a “thorough investigation” of the incident “specifically aimed at determining if there were lapses in the conduct of the operation.”
“Part of my instruction is to finish the investigation at the soonest possible time,” he said.
The raid took place Sunday after the police received a complaint regarding an illegal cockfighting operation.
Gatchalian said four policemen responded to the complaint, including the one who is already in restrictive custody.
“I assure you that whatever should be done will be done,” he said regarding the investigation on the incident.  —KBK, GMA News