Slain pedicab driver did not shoot cops, witnesses say

MANILA, Philippines - Pedicab driver Eric Sison, who was killed by Pasay police officers as he pleaded for his life, never shot at the lawmen, two witnesses told the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday.

The two, along with Sison’s partner Rachelle Bermoy, submitted their complaint affidavits before the NBI’s Death Investigation Division.

One witness said he saw Sison, a neighbor, was not holding any gun even as the police officers shot him.

The second witness, also a neighbor, said the police officers kept on shooting Sison even with children around.

He added that he and Bermoy tried to stop the police officers from following Sison, who went up to the third floor of a shanty to hide.

In an amateur video, broadcast on television, the voices of a woman, a man alleged to be a police officer and Sison could be heard as well as 15 gunshots.

The woman could be heard shouting “Maawa ka naman (Have mercy)!” while the alleged lawman replied “Huwag kang makialam (Don’t meddle)!”

Sison could also be heard shouting “Ito na po, susuko na ako (Here, I surrender)!” but gunshots were heard despite his plea.

Pasay City’s Tramo police community precinct commander Senior Inspector Oscar Pagulayan Jr. and Police Officers 1 Benigno Baladja, Melford Olorosisimo and Jan Erein Isaac were relieved from their posts and reassigned to the Southern Police District (SPD) headquarters under restrictive custody.

SPD’s officer-in-charge for administration Chief Inspector Joey Goforth insisted that the three junior police officers exchanged gunfire with Sison who fired first, then pleaded to surrender.