National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin on Wednesday vowed to bring justice to the 12-year-old killed by a suspected “Goodbye Philippines,” an illegal firecracker, which exploded when the child set it on fire.
Aberin said they are engaging with at least two persons of interest, who may shed light on the circumstances that led to the tragic incident. At the moment, the NCRPO chief said they are still determining the timeline of the events.
“Someone died so we are still investigating the case and if the investigation determines that they are liable, the people who lit and left the firecracker, they may be subjected to a murder criminal case,” Aberin told reporters during the disposal of illicit firecrackers at Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
“All in all, we have one reported death and 27 injured for the whole of Metro Manila since the start of holiday season,” he added.
Aberin said that they are reviewing closed circuit television (CCTV) footage and looking at the alleged involvement of a barangay kagawad. He emphasized that investigators have not made any conclusions at this point, so it’s too early to pass on judgment.
“We have persons of interest. (The) Manila Police District is working its best to identify the individuals based on the CCTVs and backtracking of our investigators,” he noted.
The NCRPO chief said all MPD personnel attached to the case are “working tirelessly” to “identify the real culprits.”
The incident happened in Tondo, Manila on Sunday evening (December 28) when two boys chanced upon the firecracker and tried to light it. It exploded right in front of them with the victim killed and his friend remaining confined at a hospital, requiring surgery to heal from serious injuries.
