Group mulls filing charge vs. Tuburan police chief

Human rights group, Karapatan, yesterday said it is considering the filing of charges against the chief of the Tuburan Police for alleged obstruction of justice over the shooting incident Thursday afternoon.

Karapatan chairperson Dennis Abarrientos claimed that Tuburan Police chief Crisanto Duque denied their request for help in resolving the shooting and wounding of 25-year-old Emmylou Cruz, a member of the group, by three men who they alleged were members of the 78th IB of the Philippine Army.

Three motorcycle-riding men shot at Emmylou, who was walking with her husband Daniel Brylle from a meeting with fisherfolk in barangay 8. The wounded Emmylou still managed to hide with Daniel behind the mangroves until residents came to their rescue but the assailants quickly fled.

Emmylou, accompanied by some Karapatan members went to the Tuburan Police yesterday to seek help in investigating the soldiers who they insisted were the assailants.

However, Duque said his office could not grant their request until a formal complaint is filed, and not just a letter that Emmylou submitted stating her complaint over the incident. He said the police could not help in the filing of charges because Emmylou failed to identify her assailants but only insisted they were soldiers of the 78th IB.

Duque said his office could not also accede to Emmylou's request for a cartographic sketch of the assailants because it would be hard for a cartographer to come to Tuburan from Cebu City. Instead, he advised Karapatan to go to the National Bureau of Investigation-7 where a cartographer is readily available.

Duque further said he could not grant Karapatan's request to put soldiers on a police line-up because these soldiers could not be compelled to undergo such procedure without naming who the possible suspects are otherwise it would violate their constitutional rights.

"I don't think the soldiers will just agree to a line-up. The risk here is that the accusing group might just be pointing at any soldier at will," said Duque.

However, Abarrientos said Karapatan already has the names of the soldiers but would not disclose them as yet lest they might escape.

He said the identities were gathered based on an investigation Karapatan itself conducted in the area where some witnesses revealed that some soldiers allegedly stayed at the house of a barangay councilor from October 24 until the time of the shooting.

Abarrientos said they are looking for a certain Ritchel Buhawe, alleged caretaker of the house, who also left together with the soldiers after the shooting took place. He also said they have recovered the motorcycle used by the assailants from the house. - Flor Z. Perolina