23 cops face raps over suspected jueteng man's killing

MANILA, Philippines - Twenty-three policemen assigned in Batangas province, including two officials, have been placed under restrictive custody after administrative charges were filed against them over the death of an associate of slain jueteng lord suspect Vic Siman last January 14.

Philippine National Police spokesman Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo said the 23 police personnel and officials have been formally charged with serious lapses in serving of an arrest warrant on jueteng suspect Fernando Morales.

Morales, reportedly a close associate of Siman, was shot dead while being served an arrest warrant in his home in San Juan, Batangas.

Siman was killed along with 12 others in another controversial police operation on January 6 in Atimonan, Quezon.

The two police officials facing administrative sanctions are Batangas Provincial Police Office Director Senior Superintendent Rosauro Acio and Senior Superintendent Arner Dimabuyu of Regional Operations Task Force of Batangas Police.

Since Dimabuyu and Acio are both presidential appointees, the PNP will seek clearance first from the Malacanang, Cerbo said.

The other Batangas policemen charged were Superintendent Raul Tacaca, Chief Inspector Cristito Acohon, Chief Inspector Rodolfo Ama, Inspector Kent Jerek Capadosa, SPO4 Arturo Patulot, SPO2 Edgardo Ilagan, SPO1 Edilberto Eje, SPO1 Erwin Cetron, SPO1 Rodrigo Arguelles, SPO1 Gener Pineda, PO3 Danilo Piol, PO3 Allan Natanauan, PO3 Luis Alexander Capacia, PO3 Jonathan Cansanay, PO3 Mark Christopher Aala, PO3 Florencio Austria, PO3 Christian Caguimbal, PO3 Ruel Dimaano, PO3 Marlon Aguado, PO2 Reynold Ramirez, PO2 Bernie Alday, PO2 Herbert Rellora and PO1 Michael de Castro.

Based on the PNP-Internal Affairs Service's investigation, the policemen did not properly perform the procedures in arresting Morales for alleged possession of unlicensed firearms.

“The PNP personnel involved employed excessive force, violence and unreasonable force in arresting the victim Fernando Morales Jr. and subjected to a great restraint than what is necessary,” the PNP-IAS report said.

Earlier, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group filed murder charges against some of the policemen who took part in the operation, including Tacaca, Ilagan, Cansanay, Caguimbal and Austria.