After spending Christmas in jail for shooting to death a fellow policeman who allegedly held hostage a firecracker vendor in barangay Tisa, PO1 Mark Anthony Manlosa yesterday gained temporary liberty after posting bail on charges of homicide and reckless imprudence resulting to physical injuries.
RTC executive judge Fortunato de Gracia issued the release order of Manlosa yesterday afternoon after all the documents needed for his bail were completed.
City Hall lawyer Julius Ceasar Entice was tasked by acting mayor Michael Rama to defend Manlosa. The policeman paid P10,000 bail for homicide and P500 for reckless imprudence resulting to homicide.
Manlosa was very thankful that the city government provided him a lawyer. He also insisted on his innocence on the charges filed against him.
He, however, plans to request for reassignment for fear that relatives of PO1 Calvin Dinampo who are also in the police service might seek revenge.
The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office indicted Manlosa over the death of Dinampo and the injury of a one year-old girl.
Manlosa, who is assigned as a tourist cop in Cebu City, was on his way home when he saw a man, later identified as Dinampo, carrying a handgun.
He then asked the man if he was a policeman but the man did not answer and instead grabbed a firecracker vendor to serve as a shield.
Several witnesses who were in the area when the incident happened, including the firecracker vendor, confirmed Manlosa’s claim. — Fred P. Languido/QSB