Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Gangsters battle behind barracks, teenager killed By Carlo P. Mallo
IT APPEARS that the warring gangs that broke out in a riot right by the gate of the San Pedro Cathedral on the first dawn mass last Sunday were not satisfied by nearly disrupting the mass, but instead ran off to battle anew in the residential area behind Camp Domingo Leonor, the police headquarters.
On the second riot, a policeman got caught in the fray and made the subject of an investigation since a teenage gangster was killed there.
City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte meantime assured assistance to the policeman, should the latter need so.
Duterte also promised to be in the receiving end if it is found out that the policeman killed the teenager for no reason at all, or if it was done out of a grudge.
"If what he did was in line with his duty and the performance of his obligations, we are always prepared to help," Duterte said. "If you think that your life is in danger, or you are on the danger of losing a limb, then you can act accordingly to protect yourself."
The policeman was identified as SPO2 Rolando Artiaga of the Talomo Police Precinct who is now under the custody of San Pedro Police Precinct officer Chief Inspector Alden Delvo.
Delvo said right after the ruckus outside the San Pedro Cathedral dawn of December 16, the two warring gangs were dispersed upon the arrival of the policemen.
Instead of dispersing for good, it appears that the warring gangs of around 30-40 young hoodlums just changed venue and were at each other again in front of Artiaga's house along Rizal Street, right behind the Davao City Police Office headquarters compound.
The fray woke up Artiaga, who went out of his house with his gun.
"He admitted to have fired a warning shot," Delvo said.
When the youths were finally dispersed, the body of a 17-year-old boy was found dead on the street with two gunshot wounds on his chest.
It is uncertain whether it was the policeman's gun that killed the boy or one of the improvised guns the gangsters were brandishing.
"We are still conducting an investigation on the matter," Delvo said.
Police Superintendent Matthew P. Baccay, chief of the Talomo Police Station, said in an interview Monday that Artiaga would have to face the charges, if there are any.
