Authorities on Thursday confirmed the bullet that killed six-year-old Gian Habal in Caloocan City last Sunday matched the handgun used by a police operative involved in the incident.
“Regarding Gian Habal case in Caloocan, advance information from Crime Laboratory shows that the gun surrendered by Corporal Rocky delos Reyes was the one used in killing the child,” said Metro Manila police director Guillermo Eleazar.
Delos Reyes accidentally shot and killed Habal during a hot pursuit encounter with a wanted felon in front of the child’s residence in Barangay 178. He claimed he was conducting routine patrol operation when he chanced upon the suspect.
It was learned that the police officer had once got involved in another infraction in the past.
Eleazar said the gun used by Delos Reyes was not the service firearm issued by the Philippine National Police. He added the said handgun was the one confiscated late last year due to complaints of indiscriminate firing.
“There were a number of irregularities regarding his operations,” said Eleazar, who castigated Delos Reyes in his detention last Wednesday.
Aside from the child, Delos Reyes also shot at Habal’s grandmother after she tried to prevent him from escaping.