Ozamiz gang slay: Police general, 14 others relieved

MANILA, Philippines - The police director of Southern Tagalog region and 14 other police officers were relieved following last Monday’s questionable death of two robbery gang leaders in custody of their police escorts.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II yesterday announced the relief of Calabarzon regional police director Chief Superintendent Benito Estipona and 14 others, citing initial reports by the police investigating the incident.

“I have read the reports of RSOG (Calabarzon Regional Special Operations Group) and IAS (Internal Affairs Service), instead of giving clarification on the matter, the reports left a number of questions unanswered,” Roxas said.

“The moves of RSOG were being reported to him (Estipona) directly,” he said.

Roxas said Estipona has been recalled to the Philippine National Police (PNP) national headquarters pending the investigation into the death of Ozamiz robbery gang leader Ricky Cadavero and Wilfredo Panogalinga.

Aside from Estipona, the other relieved officials were Superintendent Danilo Mendoza, RSOG chief; Senior Inspectors Manuel Magat, Fernando Cardona, Inspector Efren Oco, Senior Police Officers (SPO1) Joseph Ortega, Jayson Semacas, PO3s Sherwin Bulan, Ramil Gonzales, Marvin Mejia, Eduardo Cruz, PO2s Conrado Bautista, Exiel Reyes, Kristofferson Reyes, and Police Officer 1 Ryan Rey Gado.

Roxas designated Senior Superintendent Jesus Gatchalian as officer in charge of the Calabarzon regional police to replace Estipona.

He said Gatchalian has been ordered to secure documents and other evidence on the killings.

“There were a number of questions. Why only six police officers were assigned to supposedly high-risk individuals? Why only ordinary vehicle was used to transfer the detainees and not vehicle for detainees, which has separator for detainees. The ordinary vehicle left them seated closer to the detainees,” Roxas pointed out.

He said another glaring lapse the lawmen committed was that Cadavero and Panogalinga were handcuffed in front, which could have allowed them to grab the firearms of their escorts.

Estipona, on the other hand, refused to comment on his relief.

“I would not give any comment on that but I’d like to thank all for the support,” he said.

At the same time, Roxas tapped Director Catalino Cuy, chief of the PNP Personnel and Records Management, to head the investigation.

Roxas said the IAS and the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) will report directly to Cuy, who was instructed to come up with an interim report by Friday.

“We have to find out what really happened and hold those responsible individuals accountable for the incident,” Roxas added.

Roxas said he had coordinated with Dasmariñas, Cavite Mayor Jenny Barzaga to help ensure the safety of four other individuals arrested along with Cadavero last week.

The five remaining members of the robbery gang are detained at the Dasmariñas City jail.

Roxas said the DILG and the PNP will request the Department of Justice and the Supreme Court to allow the transfer of the five detainees to the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.

He stressed the need to secure the five detainees who could give further details on the incident.

Big syndicate

Roxas said the investigation would focus on reports that Cadavero was silenced to prevent him from revealing who were financing their operations.

“We assure the public that this will be a top to bottom investigation. There will be no sacred cow and we will hold those responsible accountable for the incident,” he said.

PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima also wanted an investigation into reports that the robbery gang leaders may have known too much, which led to their deaths.

Purisima said they would like to find out why Cadavero had requested to be placed under the custody of RSOG instead of the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa before he was killed.

Hours before, Cadavero told reporters that he wanted to be detained under RSOG headed by Senior Superintendent Mendoza instead of the NBP where he was to be locked up in isolation.

“Iba-bartolina ako sa (I would be locked up in isolation at the) Bilibid,” Cadavero reportedly said.

Purisima said there must be a reason why a robbery suspect would choose where he should be detained.

“That (going to NBP) is part of the investigation actually. Why would they want to be under Colonel Mendoza? There should be a reason,” Purisima said.

Purisima admitted the death of Cadavero and Panogalinga was a big loss in the effort to get more information about their illegal activities and other possible cohorts.

He stressed all the aspects in the death of Cadavero and Panogalinga will be investigated by the IAS.

“It’s a big loss, we’ve lost the opportunity to know some information, their link with law enforcement maybe or to other people. I had the impression that Cadavero knows too much which is why he ended up dead,” Purisima said.

Purisima revealed other units are investigating the case discreetly, aside from the criminal aspect.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is conducting a “technical investigation” of the incident.

NBI regional director Constantino Joson said they are conducting an examination of the vehicles used by the police.

Purisima earlier ordered the relief of Mendoza and 13 other policemen and assigned them to the PNP Administrative Holding Unit while investigation is being conducted.

Sources revealed the PNP-IAS-DPRM investigation is also checking reports that it was Mendoza’s group that arrested Cadavero in October 2012 after which he was taken to the NBP.

But two months later, Cadavero managed to escape from NBP and even masterminded the daring escape of Chinese drug traffickers Li Lan Yan, alias Jackson Dy, his wife Wang Li Na and another companion from the Cavite provincial jail.

Cadavero and his companions were arrested in a series of raids in Cavite and Batangas while the Chinese couple were recaptured in San Juan City.

Rosalinda Cadavero flew home yesterday from Saudi Arabia, saying her brother was intentionally killed by his police escorts.

Speaking in Filipino, Rosalinda said her brother could have been used by “some people who profited from his illegal operation.”

“Where are the millions of pesos that authorities said my brother took? There are people who took benefit from my brother. I know him since we grew up together from the hard times we faced,” she said.

According to Rosalinda, she was able to talk to her brother through cellular phone before he was killed.

“Ricky told me everything. He would never keep secrets from me,” she said.

Rosalinda said she would ask the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to step in the investigation on the death of her brother. – Ed Amoroso, Rudy Santos, Aie Balagtas See