CHR to probe video of police shooting in Pampanga

The Philippines' human rights commission said Friday it would investigate after a policeman was captured on television footage apparently shooting dead an alleged robber who was lying motionless on the ground. The policemen involved could face charges of murder if it is shown he shot dead a helpless man, said regional human rights commissioner Jasmin Regino. "If you look closely at the video, the man was already lying prostrate on the ground when he was fired upon by the police," Regino told AFP. The footage taken by ABS-CBN television, shows the aftermath of a roadside gunbattle between police and three suspected armed robbers in San Fernando city, about two hours' drive north of Manila, on Wednesday. The three suspects had already been shot by police and were lying motionless, face down on the ground when one policeman walked up to the robbers and fired one more shot at one of them, Regino said. All three alleged robbers died in the incident. Regina said her office had launched an investigation and she called on the police to conduct a parallel probe. Local police director Senior Superintendent Ed Tinio said that internal affairs would look into the shooting but that, in his opinion, his officers had reacted in the right manner because they believed they were in danger. "It is a judgement call for our police operatives if there is still an eminent danger against their life and limb," he told AFP. However Regino insisted the television footage showed the policeman looked as if he just wanted to kill the robber. "If there was really an ongoing operation, the policeman who shot the victim would not have walked casually like that, like he really wanted to finish (the robber) off," she said. The leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, ordered its own investigation into the alleged "operational lapses" by local police in the encounter. PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome gave the investigation order to the PNP regional office in Central Luzon. Bartolome said the investigation will not be limited to the alleged violation of police operational procedures by those involved in the incident but also as far as up their immediate superior officers under the doctrine of command responsibility. The Philippine National Police, meanwhile, ordered its own investigation into the alleged "operational lapses" by local police in the encounter. PNP chief director general Nicanor Bartolome gave the order to the PNP regional office in Central Luzon. International human rights groups and foreign governments have previously said there is a culture of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. This has included suspected criminals who are "rubbed-out" by police rather than arrested. — with Kim Tan/AFP/RSJ, GMA News