Relatives of rubout victims want truth commission

MANILA, Philippines - The families of alleged carjackers killed by police in 2005 have urged President Aquino to create a “truth commission” that would look into possible cases of summary executions committed across the country.

At a press conference in Manila yesterday, the victims’ relatives produced a video clip taken by the UNTV showing controversial police officer Superintendent Hansel Marantan’s alleged involvement in the alleged rubout in Ortigas.

The incident on Nov. 7, 2005, resulted in the deaths of Anton Co Unjieng, Francis Manzano and Brian Dulay.

Present at the press conference were Monique Cu Unjieng LaO’ and Ernesto Manzano, mother and brother of Anton and Francis, respectively. They were accompanied by their lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno.

In a letter dated Jan. 18, the families told the President that eight years have passed since their loved ones were murdered, but the policemen who killed them, reportedly led by Marantan, remain free and unpunished.

Aside from Cu Unjieng LaO’and Manzano, the letter was signed by Carmencita Cu Unjieng, Jennifer Manzano, and Diokno who read the letter during the presscon.

The execution-style murders of their relatives, they said, were caught on camera by a television crew from UNTV.

Since Marantan and his group were not aware that they were being filmed, they submitted police reports and sworn affidavits making it appear that the incident was a shootout. However, doubts were cast on their story when the UNTV aired the video footages over national television the next evening.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, the victims’ families lamented that Marantan and company were never disciplined, suspended or jailed.

Instead, the police officers were commended and some were even promoted, like Marantan.

The families expressed belief that “rubouts” would not stop unless the President personally intervenes. They said it was very hard to get justice when the accused belong to the police.

Aside from seeking the creation of “Truth Commission” composed of retired justices and experts in the social sciences, forensics, criminal investigation and police procedure, the group wanted that the power to discipline and promote policemen be removed from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and National Police Commission (Napolcom) and be returned to the Civil Service Commission (CSC).

The group said all PNP members who have discharged their firearms, and injure or kill a person should be required to immediately surrender all their weapons for forensic examination, as well as their communication devices, and sign a waiver authorizing the investigators to examine these devices.

They said the erring lawmen should be restricted to their quarters pending the investigation, and should submit themselves to physical examination.

Fourth witness

A fourth civilian witness in the controversial Quezon killings, meanwhile, has surfaced to support initial findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that the incident was not a shootout.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the new witness, whom she refused to name, was one of the three persons on board the truck, which was a few meters away from the checkpoint where alleged jueteng kingpin Vic Siman and 12 others were killed by a joint police and military contingent led by Marantan.

De Lima said the witness corroborated the statement of the two earlier witnesses who demonstrated to NBI investigators how the incident happened.

“This one was the supervisor of the truck driver and helper who did not want to cooperate at first. Finally, the person went to the NBI yesterday (Tuesday) and executed a statement,” De Lima told reporters in an interview.

She said the witness offered a new “material and revealing information,” which she declined to discuss for the meantime.

On Tuesday, a third civilian witness identified as Rolando Vico Jr., was presented to the NBI by the military men involved in the incident.

Vico said there was an exchange of fire between the checkpoint team and Siman’s group with the latter supposedly initiating the shootout.

But De Lima, who had made her own conclusion even before Marantan’s team presented its side, obviously doubted Vico’s credibility and ordered NBI director Nonnatus Rojas to check his background. – Sandy Araneta, Edu Punay