Cop shoots teenage girl, friend; claims self-defense

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MANILA — A 16-year-old girl and her friend was shot to death on Sunday morning by a policeman who claimed self-defense.

Camille Ventura, a high school student, and Emerson Lopez, 20 who died of gunshot wounds to the chest, were shot with their friend Carl Michael Cueto after confronting and attacking five men including the policeman who made the fatal shot.

The three teenagers got into a fight with another group while inside a bar at Harbor Square in Malate, Manila and mistook the policeman’s group for the group they gotten into a fight.

The policeman who shot them, identified as PO3 Ariel Yala, a member of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, defended himself saying he was forced to fire his gun in self-defense.

Initial investigation of the incident indicated that the three teenagers along with seven other friends were escorted out of the bar after the fight.

But instead of going home, they hang out at a gasoline station on A. Mabini corner P. Ocampo Streets around 4:30 a.m. waiting for the group they had an earlier fight.

Yala and his companions, who were boarded on a taxi, passed by the area by chance and were attacked by the teenagers’ group after mistakenly identifying them as the group they were after.

The taxi driver, when questioned by the police, confirmed the attack saying that his passengers were mauled by the group of teenagers.

The victims were rushed by their companions to Manila Adventist Medical Center in Pasay City but were declared dead on arrival.

Meanwhile, Yala and his four companions are now placed under police investigation.