“Kuya, 'wag! 'Wag ako, hindi ako! (Sir, don't! Not me, it's not me!)” he screamed as he held his chest hit by a bullet. Jayross 'Utoy' Brondial, 13, was killed by a motorcycle-riding, masked gunman, in what neighbors believe might have been a case of mistaken identity.
Jayross Brondial
  • Alias: Utoy
  • Sex: Male
  • Age: 13
  • Occupation: Grade 6 student
Incident Details
  • Killed by unknown assailants in public
  • Date of Incident: September 24, 2017
  • Time of Incident: 2:55 pm
  • Location of Incident: Pasay City, Metro Manila
Source(s)

Brondial’s 17-year-old sister said she heard him begging for his life: “I heard him ask the gunman not to shoot him because he had done nothing wrong. But the gunman hit him on the head with the gun and then shot him.”

Brondial was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital from gunshot wounds to the head and body. The initial reports said he was “shot repeatedly.”

The authorities are still determining the whereabouts of the assailant who was seen in the CCTV footage wearing a black helmet and jacket as he fled the crime scene.

Born and raised on Tramo Street, Utoy had an innocence that was unquestionable to neighbors and barangay officials. Growing up, he went from playing marbles on the street to basketball games in makeshift courts and online games in Pisonet. Life for Utoy was spent in school and games and friends and porma.

Unlike his brothers, Utoy was not one to miss his classes in school. He even notched a spot in the Top 5 honors list of his class in the last quarter. He’s not the smartest, but Rosana insists he was diligent. He was active and present in school performances.

“Lahat ng tao rito magsasabi,” Rosana said, “nagkamali ‘yung bumaril kay Utoy.” (All the people here will tell you, the one who shot Utoy made a mistake.)

It should have been Gayi, according to friends and neighbors of the Brondials.

Gary “Gayi” Alandra, man in his 30’s, is a known drug user and pusher on Tramo Street, Pasay City. Barangay 104 Chairman Marilou Briones confirmed he is on top of the barangay’s drug watch list. Barangay 104 watchman Tony Bacsal said that the killer could have mistaken Brondial for Alandra as both were of the same height. The two were also skinny, sported blonde hair and wore only navy blue shorts at the time of the shooting.