10 cops in Lozada slay face raps

Ten members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were charged yesterday with murder in the Quezon City Regional Trial Court for the deaths of a 48-year-old executive and a friend of his daughter in a botched anti-kidnapping operation last May.

Charged were Superintendent Edgar Iglesia, Chief Inspector James Mejia, Senior Inspector Edwin Portento, Inspectors Preston Bagangan, Caesar Pangda, Christine Tabdi, and police officers John Bolatin, Arnold Solas, Cherlyn Tundaya, and Frederick Taala.

All of the respondents are members of the PNP’s Intelligence Operations Division (IOD) and Intelligence Group. They are charged with murder and attempted murder.

The case stemmed from the deaths of Fernando Lozada, chief steward of the New World Hotel, and Marianne Uson, 18, who were mistaken by the policemen to be kidnappers and shot dead inside their car last May 17 in Araneta Avenue, Quezon City.

Lozada’s daughter and Uson’s friend, Clarissa, was also wounded in the incident. Reports said that the policemen mistook the vehicle for another in which Mark Harris Bacalla, son of the late Judge Marciano Bacalla, was supposedly inside.

Bacalla was abducted last May 2. The PNP-IOD and IG groups were tasked to entrap Bacalla’s kidnappers.

The victims were on board a blue Mitsubishi Lancer (TKM-265) driven by Fernando and cruising along G. Araneta Avenue, at about 8 p.m., on their way to a party in Damar Village.

They were approaching an intersection when three of the respondents alighted from a parked white vehicle and flagged them down. Sensing trouble, Lozada sped towards the direction of Quezon Avenue.

A high speed chase ensued making the policemen think they were trying to escape, who fired at the vehicle.

Lozada was hit in the head and body as their car crashed into the concrete wall of a house. Uson was also hit, but Clarissa was unharmed except for several bruises.

The policemen were later shocked to find out that the victims were not the ones they were supposed to arrest. The victims were rushed to the Orthopedic Hospital where Fernando was pronounced dead on arrival. Uson expired the following day. – Matthew Estabillo