Girl used as human shield killed in Negros buy-bust operation

A four-year-old girl in Negros Occidental was killed after she was supposedly used as a human shield by his father who was being arrested by the police over drug-related charges, reports said Thursday.

A report on "Balita Pilipinas" in the afternoon said the child was in critical condition, but a report on "24 Oras" in the evening said the victim later on perished due to the wound she sustained.

The "Balita Pilipinas" report said the suspect, Aldrick Barbon, was the subject of a buy-bust operation in Guihulngan town who allegedly tried to shoot it out with the arresting policemen using his daughter as a shield.

Aldrick was killed but the bullet passed through his body and hit the minor on the shoulder, the report said.

"Noong babarilin na sana niya ang pulis natin, he tried to fire his firearm, kaya kumilos na ang mga back-up para i-mobolize siya dahil talagang disidido siyang patayin ang pulis. Nag-retaliate ang pulis to mobilize him. Two shots lang sa katawan. We don't have the intent to kill," Guihulngan Police chief Supt. D'Artagnan Katalbas said.

The victim's grandmother, Marilyn, said the child, who was immediately rushed to a hospital, developed a fever after being hit by the bullet.

"Ang sa akin lang, bakit nadamay ang bata. Wala namang alam ang bata sa nagging atraso ng kaniyang ama. Sana makunsensiya ang gumawa niyan," she said.

The policemen said they did not expect Aldrick to use his own daughter as a human shield.

Katalbas stressed the police officers tried their best to save the child from Aldrick, reportedly one of the top five personalities on the police's drug watchlist in Negros Island.

"Even sa ating Oplan Tokhang hindi siya sumuko. And he was sending feeler sa mga kapitbahay na if ever isailalim siya sa Oplan Tokhang babarilin niya ang mga pulis. Mayroon din daw siyang granada," Katalbas said.

The police recovered one caliber .38 pistol, several bullets, and four sachets of suspected shabu. They also found one cellphone and a motorcycle allegedly used by Aldrick in his illegal transactions. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/KBK, GMA News