NBI, PNP tag policemen: 5 HPG cops charged for Archival ambush

CEBU, Philippines -  The National Bureau of Investigation-7 yesterday filed criminal complaints against officials of the Highway Patrol Group-7 who were accused in the ambush-slay of lawyer Noel Archival.

Through lawyers Renan Oliva and Erme Monsanto, the complaints for multiple murder and frustrated murder were filed before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office against Senior Superintendent Romualdo Iglesia, chief of HPG-7; Senior Superintendent Joselito Lerion, Chief Inspector Eduardo Mara, Senior Police Officer 1 Edwin Galan, Police Officer 1 Alex Bacani; and unidentified persons.

The complaints were received at around 1:50 p.m.

Oliva and Monsanto said the crime was committed in conspiracy based on the result of their investigation and evidence gathered.

On February 18, 2014, Archival, Alejandro Jayme and Candido Miñoza were shot dead while on board a black Ford SUV traversing Barangay Coro, Dalaguete town. Only Paolo Cortes, on call-assistant of Archival, survived the attack.

Cortes, in his sworn statement, said earlier that day while they were heading to Dumaguete for a hearing, he noticed a silver gray pick-up overtake them. He added that he did not mind it and in fact did not see it in Liloan port in Santander.

 Cortes went on to say while they were traversing Dalaguete town going back to Cebu City, he noticed that there was a car that suddenly overtook them and when Jayme was about to overtake a Ceres bus, a red Toyota Vios with license plate numbers GSR 995 blocked them.

He added that the silver gray pick-up appeared and approached them and men on that vehicle and the Vios started firing at them.

 â€œAkong nakita ang tawo sa pick up nga nag gunit og armalite…nag-bonnet, nag-baseball cap ug round sunglasses nga gold color ang frame. Gawas ana nag- sweat shirt pa gyud og itom,” he said, adding after Archival, Miñoza, Jayme had been shot he hid and pretended to be dead.

Closed-circuit television camera footage obtained by the NBI in Dalaguete corroborated Cortes’ testimony. After the ambush, the said vehicles sped towards Cebu City.

The NBI also said prior to his death, Archival reported to the Mabolo Police Station that HPG policemen tried to extort P200,000 from his client Jane Catherine Go. Reportedly, the HPG filed a complaint for carnapping, anti-fencing law and illegal transfer of  vehicle license plate numbers against Go and Chris Reinz.

Investigation

Based on the investigation of the NBI and the PNP, Lerion has been driving and using a Toyota Vios having the same “distinctive features of the Vios car used in the ambush but sporting a different Plate No. GSC 675.”

“Testimony and logbooks entries at the impounding compound of HPG7 located at Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City, disclosed that in the morning of February 17, 2014, a gray Mitsubishi Strada bearing plate Number NVO 543 driven by Iglesia went out of the HPG7 Impounding Compound. The next day, Feb. 18, at about 9:42 a.m. the red Toyota Vios with plate No. GSC 995 driven by Lerion went out of the HPG7 Compound,” the transmittal read, adding at about 3:38 p.m. after the ambush, the Toyota Vios driven by Lerion entered the HPG7 Impounding Compound and minutes after, 4:22 p.m. the gray Mitsubishi pickup driven by Iglesia likewise entered the impounding compound.

The NBI added that on February 24, 2014 at about 9:35 a.m., the gray Mitsubishi Strada with “improvised” plate no. NVO 543 entered OFF Road Motorshop in barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City, for repairs. However, on March 20, 2014 at about 3:35 p.m., the said vehicle was allegedly hastily taken out from the shop by Bacani.

Surveillance

After surveillance, the NBI and the PNP said they found out that HPG7 personnel were “interchanging and using different plate numbers for other vehicles.”

 â€œClearly HPG7 headed by Iglesia and operations chief Lerion were using impounded vehicles in their nefarious activities with the connivance and concurrence of impounding area chief Mara and impounded vehicle in-charge Galan,” the transmittal further read.

The NBI said that during the implementation of the search warrant, they only recovered the Toyota Vios with plate No. GSC 675 in the HPG impounding area in Barangay Lahug. The said vehicle was then subjected to a forensic examination by the NBI Forensic Team.

The NBI said examination revealed the presence of gunpowder nitrates residues on the front panel and window frame on the front passenger side, right rear door window frame and the carpet and seat cover at the front passenger side and rear right side of the car that matched with the firing position of the gunmen during the ambush.

An empty shell recovered inside the Toyota Vios matched empty shells recovered in the crime scene based on ballistic comparison by the NBI Firearms Investigation Division and PNP Scene of the Crime Operations.

“The physical, documentary and testimonial evidences gathered clearly established that the red Toyota Vios bearing plate number GSC 995 driven by Lerion in the afternoon of the day that the ambush occurred and the red Toyota Vios car sporting plate number GSC 675 seized at the HPG7 Impounding Compound at Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City by virtue of the search warrant are one the same vehicle,” the NBI added.

Adrian Gulfan, a security guard assigned at the HPG impounding compound, said his duties and responsibilities is to record the vehicles that enter and leave from the impounding area in the logbook. On February 17 and 18, he recorded the vehicle with license plate numbers GSR 995 driven by Lerion and Strada with license plate numbers NVO 543 driven by Iglesia.

Nelson Archival, a brother of the slain lawyer, said they were happy with the filing of the complaints against the respondents.

 Today, the NBI will be filing criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against Iglesia, Mara, Galan, Bacani and Lerion for anti-graft, violation of the code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees and gross misconduct.

 Oliva also said that they will be asking the Ombudsman to place the five on preventive suspension while the investigation of  the case is ongoing.

Iglesia refused to give any comment, but in an earlier interview, Mara told reporters he is willing to appear before the court and prove his innocence.

He hopes the NBI will file charges against those who are really involved in the case.

“I hope kanang giakusahan tinuod nga naa gyuy kalambigitan sa kaso, lisod kung walay participation unya madawit lang,” said Mara.

Mara also said their lawyer instructed them not to meet with the NBI if given summons to appear and advised them to appear only in court to defend themselves and prove their innocence.  â€”/BRP (FREEMAN)