25 Kuratong cops placed under protective custody

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is ready to place under its protective custody the 25 police officers being summoned by the justice department in connection with the reopening of the 1995 Kuratong Baleleng case.

PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza has ordered the "accounting" of all the police officers to be ready for presentation at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on April 27.

Mendoza said the PNP has no jurisdiction over his predecessor Panfilo Lacson, who filed for early retirement after he withdrew support from then President Joseph Estrada at the height of people power II last January.

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez directed last Thursday Mendoza to present before the justice department the PNP officers implicated in the case following the resurfacing of witnesses.

Perez’s order was seen by PNP officials as a sign that the 1995 case would be reopened because of new evidence presented by witnesses Mario Enad, Ismael Yu and Abelardo Ramos that the 11 gangmen were killed in cold blood by police on orders of their superiors on May 18, 1995.

Ordered to appear before the DOJ are Senior Superintendents Michael Ray Aquino and Erwin Villacorte, Supts. Ricardo Dandan and Joselito Esquivel, Chief Inspector Vicente Arnado, Insp. Roberto Langcaoun, Sgts. Virgilio Paragas, Rolando Jimenez, Wilfredo Cuartero, Roberto Aglbahog and Osmundo Cariño.

They are considered as the principal accused in the case filed before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Wenceslao Agnir, who has since been promoted to the Court of Appeals.