13 Atimonan massacre cops dismissed from PNP

MANILA, Philippines - Police Superintendent Hansel Marantan and 12 other policemen involved in a rub out in Atimonan, Quezon last year were ordered dismissed from the service for serious irregularity in the performance of duty.

Marantan, then Calabarzon region intelligence chief, led a team of joint police and military operatives who manned checkpoints in Atimonan on Jan. 6, 2013 that intercepted the group of alleged jueteng lord Vic Siman due to his alleged links to a gun-for-hire syndicate.

The policemen claimed they gunned down 13 people, including Siman, a police superintendent and 11 others, who engaged them in a shootout as they were flagged down.

Aside from Marantan, ordered dismissed by the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) were Superintendent Ramon Balauag, Senior Inspector John Paulo Carracedo, Chief Inspector Grant Gollod, Senior Inspector Timoteo Orig, SPO3 Joselito de Guzman, SPO1 Claro Cataquiz Jr., SPO1 Arturo Sarmiento, PO3 Eduardo Oronan, PO2 Nelson Indal, PO2 Al Bhazar Jailani, PO1 Wryan Sardea and PO1 Rodel Talento.

Marantan and his colleagues remain at Camp Crame, the headquarters of the Philippine National Police, Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodor Sindac, PNP public information office chief, said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Sindac said ordered demoted were Inspector Ferdinand Aguilar, retired Inspector Evaristo San Juan, PO3 Benedict Dimayuga, PO2 Ronnie Serdeña and PO2 Esperdion Corpuz Jr.

PO1 Allen Ayobo and PO1 Bernie de Leon were slapped with six months’ suspension and cannot be demoted because their rank is the lowest in the police organization, Sindac said.

Sindac added that the cases of former Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) regional director Chief Superintendent James Melad and Senior Superintendent Valeriano de Leon were forwarded to the National Police Commission because their ranks are equivalent to those of “presidential appointees.”

Sindac said two administrative cases of grave misconduct were still being heard before the legal affairs division of the PNP-IAS.

He said Marantan and his colleagues filed a motion for reconsideration on the decision of the PNP-IAS.

They said PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima “prejudged the case.”

Sindac said the office of Purisima “found that the establishment of the three checkpoints was authorized, being covered by the case operation plan.”

“However, serious irregularity in the performance of duty was committed by the respondents in the conduct thereof,” Sindac said.

The Department of Justice had said it found evidence that what transpired in Atimonan was a rubout, triggering the filing of criminal and administrative cases against the policemen.

Checkpoint distance unusual

In a four-page report, IAS acting Inspector General Alexander Roldan said the three layers of checkpoints were deemed as individual checkpoints separate and distinct from each other.

Roldan said the distance between the layers ranging from 300 to 500 meters is deemed unusual since the personnel manning each layer could hardly see each other.

“The acts of the respondents were in violation of the PNP manual on police operational procedures constituting serious irregularity in the performance of duty,” he said.

Killed along with Siman were Tirso Lontok Jr., Gerry Siman, Conrado Decillo, Victor Gonzales, Jimbeam Dyico Justiniani, Paul Quiohiliag, Leonardo Marasigan, Maximo Pelayo, Supt. Alfredo Consumino, PO1 Jeffrey Valdez, SPO1 Gruet Mantuano and Staff Sgt. Armando Lescano.

‘Charge sheet fatally flawed’

A source close to Marantan told The STAR that his camp will raise various issues in connection with the summary decision of the IAS in the Atimonan case.

“We have read the decision. We hope you have read it too and we came up with significant findings,” the source said.

The source said “the charge sheet in administrative case No. IAS-13-010 is fatally and jurisdictionally flawed and the assailed resolution is contrary to and unsupported by evidence adduced in trial, law and jurisprudence, and was issued with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.”

“Grave and serious errors or irregularities were committed by the IAS summary hearing board, including the disciplinary authority, prejudicial to the constitutional rights and substantial interests of the respondents,” Marantan’s camp said. “The PNP chief prejudged the case. We are filing our motions for reconsideration as a legal remedy and right. That’s all we can say for now.”