In a tragic case of mistaken identity, Jemboy Baltazar, a 17-year-old son of an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), was shot dead by members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Navotas. The incident occurred on Tuesday while Baltazar was preparing to fish. The police, acting on a tip about a suspect’s whereabouts, approached the boat Baltazar was on, instructing him to disembark.
In a panicked response, Baltazar, startled by the sudden gunfire, leapt into the water. According to Navotas Police Chief, Police Colonel Allan Umipig, the police later realized they had mistakenly targeted the wrong individual. “They only found out later. They realized that someone else had died. Because he jumped into the water, they made an error in firing shots into the water, hitting the victim,” Umipig said in a statement to GMA News.
The six policemen involved in the shooting have since been relieved of their duties and are now facing homicide charges.
Rodina Baltazar, the victim’s mother, expressed her deep grief and demanded justice for her son. “Who can survive two shots to the nose and one to the forehead? They truly did not give my son a chance to live,” she lamented.