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Mother seeks justice for son shot dead by Navotas cops
Mother seeks justice for son shot dead by Navotas cops
Izzy Lee,
ABS-CBN News
Published Aug 12, 2023 02:41 AM PHT
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Updated Aug 12, 2023 09:58 AM PHT
Rodaliza Baltazar, the OFW mother of slain teenager Jemboy Baltazar, weeps upon seeing the casket of her son after arriving at their home in Navotas City on Friday. Baltazar was shot and killed by police on August 2 after being mistaken for a shooting suspect being pursued in the area. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA - Rodaliza Baltazar, the mother of 17-year-old Jerhode "Jemboy" Baltazar, is determined to find justice for her son.
On August 2, Jemboy was shot and killed by Navotas policemen after being mistakenly identified as the suspect they were searching for. He was preparing to go fishing in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran.
Baltazar is demanding that the officers involved dismissed from duty and imprisoned.
"Kahit isang milyon pa po yung ibigay nila sa akin di po ako papayag, kasi buhay po ng anak ko eh. Pwede mong sabihin sorry nagkamali ako. Kung sa kanila po ba mangyari yun papayag po ba sila na ganun?" Baltazar said.
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She is disappointed that the involved police officers underwent inquest for homicide and not for murder.
"Sobrang pagkakamali talaga yung ginawa nila dahil malabo ba yung mata nila nung tanghali na yun para bigla nilang pagbabarilin yung anak ko?" she said.
Baltazar returned to the Philippines on August 11 from Qatar where she worked as a domestic helper. However, she faced a case for running away from her employer, which forced her to hide and she was unable to contact her family in the Philippines.
The last time she spoke to Jemboy and her children was last December 2020. After the incident with Jemboy, she decided not to leave the country again.
"Ang inaano ko po yung sinayang ko po na panahon na nag-abroad ako sana naisip ko na na kailangan ako ng mga anak ko," she said.
She did not have the chance to speak to Jemboy, not even on his birthday last month.
"Wala akong regalo, hindi ko siya nabati, wala po akong cellphone. Makapagpadala man ako ng pera, para pala sa kamatayan niya hindi pala sa birthday niya," she added.
Now that she's back in the Philippines, she has a message for her son.
"Nak nandito na ako, dumating na ako punta ka na sa bahay dumating na si Mama. Wag ka mag-alala magkakaroon ka ng katarungan yung ginawa sa'yo ng mga pulis," she said.
According to Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, the deeper root of the problem lies in the culture of the police force.
He plans to file a resolution in the House of Representatives to investigate the incident involving Jemboy.
Jemboy will be laid to rest on August 16 at the Laloma Cemetery.
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