Siman administrator executed by cops – PNP report

MANILA, Philippines - A week after alleged jueteng lord Vic Siman was gunned down with 12 other men in Quezon, his former gambling administrator was executed by a police team in Batangas, authorities said yesterday.

A fact-finding committee created by the Philippine National Police (PNP) to look into the death of Fernando “Pandoy” Morales, 46, said he did not fire a gun in what the police described as a shootout outside his home on Jan. 14.

The PNP has recommended the filing of murder and administrative charges against all policemen involved in the killing.

The probe body, however, did not recommend the filing of charges against sacked Calabarzon police director Chief Superintendent James Melad.

Citing loss of confidence, President Aquino sacked Melad over a spate of violent incidents in his jurisdiction of Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon provinces, including the killing of Morales, and the controversial Atimonan “shootout” which left Siman and 12 others dead.

Aquino relieved Melad and the 23 members of the arresting team a day after Morales was killed. He also ordered them investigated.

Fact-finding committee chair Senior Superintendent Keith Singian briefed ranking police officials about his findings before submitting the more than 200-page report to PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima.

Chief Superintendent Federico Castro Jr., deputy chief for operations of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), said Singian’s report included affidavits of witnesses, including that of Morales’ family.

He, however, refused to reveal important details in the report, leaving it up to Purisima to officially announce the findings.

A ranking police official confirmed to The STAR that Singian’s committee report “points to the fact that Morales did not fire his gun.”

The arresting team claimed Morales pulled out a handgun and fired at them, prompting them to return fire.

The official also noted the probe body failed to establish the motive behind Morales’ death.

As Siman’s gambling administrator, Morales reportedly had in his possession a blue book containing the names of government and police officials who were on the take and serving as protectors of the illegal numbers games in Southern Tagalog.