Cops who shot 16-year-old boy, companion in Laguna op identified —PNP

The police officers who shot 16-year-old Johndy Helis and his companion Antonio Dalit, which resulted to their death, during a police operation in Laguna have been identified, the Philippine National Police said Wednesday.

In a statement, PNP chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar said the police officers were identified through the investigation conducted by the Fact-Finding Task Group.

Ballistics examination and cross-matching on the slugs recovered from the bodies of Helis and Dalit were conducted.

A total of 11 firearms from the police were also submitted for ballistics examinations and cross-matching.

“The Regional Crime Laboratory Office of Police Regional Office 4A reported that the slugs specimen taken from the cadaver of Jhondie Maglinte Helis matched with a cal. 45 gun submitted by one of the operatives with a rank of Police Senior Master Sergeant,” Eleazar said.

“A .45 pistol owned by a Police Commissioned Officer also matched a bullet recovered from Dalit’s body based on the same report of the RCLO4A,” he added.

Eleazar pointed out that they are still determining whether or not there was indeed an exchange of gunfire between the cops and the two victims.

Helis and Dalit tested positive for gunpowder nitrates during paraffin tests of their bodies, according to the PNP. Based on the autopsy report, they also sustained two gunshot wounds.

On June 16, the two were killed during the alleged serving of arrest warrant against Dalit for alleged violation of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The fact-finding task group is still looking into allegations that Helis was handcuffed when he was shot. Helis’ family denied the police's claim that he fought it out with the policemen.

“There’s a presumption of regularity in the conduct of this operation, unless there are witnesses who could corroborate that there was no exchange of gunfire and that Helis was already handcuffed when he was repeatedly shot as claimed by the relatives,” Eleazar said.

The PNP chief and mother of Helis earlier called on witnesses to coordinate with authorities to shed light on the incident.

Eleazar said no witnesses have surfaced so far.

Citing a report from the Internal Affairs Service, Eleazar said investigators went to the house of the relatives of the victims to ask for their statements but they refused.

The PNP chief expressed concern that many witnesses were seen in the video during the incident but none of them were willing to give a statement.

In a statement, Police Regional Office 4A chief Police Brigadier General Eliseo Cruz  said the taking of testimonies is expected to be completed after the burial of the Helis and Dalit on June 27, as requested by their families.

“I have instructed the task group to take the complaint affidavits of the lawful wife of Antonio Dalit and the mother of Jhondie Helis since he is a minor," he said.

“I also instructed the task group to gather other material and relevant documentary and testimonial pieces of evidence to support the filing of possible criminal charges,” he added.—AOL, GMA News