Razon eyes upgrading of homicide rap vs WPD officer

Western Police District (WPD) director Chief Superintendent Avelino Razon Jr. ordered yesterday the WPD General Assignment Section (GAS) to reinvestigate the shooting to death of a policemen by his immediate superior officer, after the WPD Homicide Section filed homicide raps against the suspect.

Razon wants the murder angle probed and warned his men about accusations of a whitewash or cover up of the case.

Meanwhile, two witnesses surfaced at the WPD General Assignment Section (GAS) to support reports that SPO1 Celeste Agustin had his hands up in surrender when shot in the stomach by the deputy chief of the District Police Intelligence Unit (DPIU) Inspector Reynaldo "Boy" Chico outside a karaoke pub in Malate early Thursday morning.

"I have ordered a review of the case to ensure that there is no whitewash," said Razon. "No cover-up, will prosper."

Razon said that he has talked to the widow of Agustin who is seeking the upgrading of charges to murder.

Murder is a non-bailable offense. But the WPD homicide unit only filed bailable homicide charges against Chico.

Chico surrendered 15 hours after the incident and is now in detention at the WPD headquarters. Mere homicide charges plus the absence of a spot report until 12 hours after the shooting sparked cries of cover up from the victim's friends and kin.

According to one of the two witnesses, a 21-year-old guest relations officer of Lotus Flower music lounge on Del Pilar street, Malate, Chico and Agustin had a heated quarrel at about 1 a.m. inside the pub.

"Why were they (homicide unit) not able to interview these witnesses? They should have conducted an on-site investigation," asked one GAS prober. "Was there cover-up in their investigation?"

Before the shooting, Chico and Agustin, with SPO4 Eduardo Merano and SPO1 Rodolfo Bayan, were planning the arrest of a robbery suspect in the pub when the argument broke out. They were all already drunk by that time, said the witness.

The witness said Chico questioned Agustin's ability to send his young children to elementary school at Sta. Isabel College. Agustin reportedly responded that it was "personal." Chico reportedly blew his top and told Agustin not to give him that bull, saying he knew of Agustin's racket.

Agustin snapped back and a fistfight, broke out. They were pacified by their companions and pub employees.

The other witness, a 30-year-old doorman of the pub, said that Agustin was brought out by his companions, bitterly murmuring about something.

Agustin was about to be taken home by his colleagues when Chico emerged from the bar, gun in hand. The other lawmen reportedly panicked and tried to stop Chico, scuffling with him. One or two of the cops managed to get hold of Chico's gunhand, pushing it upwards, but Chico bent his wrist downwards and fired, hitting the unarmed Agustin.

At the wake, Agustin's relatives reportedly learned that before storming out after Agustin, Chico spent time convincing pub employees to return a clutch bag containing his gun, earlier deposited at the counter, due to instructions from another cop, Toto Casim, that no clutch bags be returned to the cops. Casim's wife. co-owner of the pub, is reportedly also a witness.

There were reports that a ranking police official was at the crime scene and later took custody of Chico's gun but investigators refused to confirm his identity.

Doctors who treated the fatally wounded Agustin at the Ospital ng Maynila said the cops with the victim all heavily smelled of liquor. Reporters at the hospital said they were harassed by Merano, who was even seen on TV menacingly drawing two 9mm pistols from his waist, making reporters and photographers scamper for cover.

Chico, Merano, and Bayan, are scheduled to give their statements today at the WPD-GAS office.