13-year-old boy killed in Tondo dreamed of becoming a cop

"Ang taas ng pangarap ng anak ko pare ang maging katulad mo rin ang pangarap ng anak ko!"

Poignant words from a grieving father echoed in the solitary cell at the Manila Police homicide section when Allan Pineda confronted PO2 Omar Malinao.

Malinao is being held while undergoing investigation in connection with the fatal shooting of 13-year-old Aldrin Pineda last Friday at Vitas Slaughterhouse in Tondo.

Aldrin was set to graduate from Grade Six this month and had dreams of becoming a policeman someday.

"Ang anak ko gusto niya po maging pulis pero pulis din pala papatay sa kanya," said Michelle, Aldrin's mom, who can only weep at the irony.

In the incident report submitted to the Smokey Mountain Police Community Precinct (PCP) commander, Malinao said that he was on duty as police security at the Vitas Slaughterhouse at around 8 p.m. He noted the presence of "intruders" in the compound stealing scrap metal and yelled at them to leave.

But instead of heeding his call, he said they even taunted him and shouted "nandito kami," while waving their hands, then threw rocks at his direction. He claimed that he heard gunshots coming from the group of intruders. When he moved to seek cover while holding his firearm, he fell to the ground accidentally firing his gun.

GMA News tried to clarify this narration of events but Malinao refused to comment.

Michelle, however, refuted this story.

"Isang putok lang po yung narinig talaga, isang putok lang wala akong narinig na ibang putok. Saka wala pong gulong nangyari dun," she said.

Homicide operatives are still gathering more evidence and eyewitness accounts of the incident, while Malinao's firearm undergoes a ballistics test.

At this point however, the MPD clarified that there is still no conclusive proof to link Malinao to the Aldrin's death. —JST, GMA News