Pasay hostage ‘rescuers’ back in service

Thirteen of the 22 Pasay City policemen who took part in the botched hostage rescue of a four-year-old boy last May are now back in service.

Pasay police chief Senior Superintendent Oscar Catalan said the 13 policemen have been re-assigned to other positions and started performing their duties last week.

"They have been assigned to different Police Community Precincts (PCPs) and other offices of the Pasay police," Catalan said in a telephone interview.

One of the 13, Chief Inspector Reynaldo Baral, had requested to be transferred to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Camp Crame, Catalan added.

Baral was chief of the Pasay police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) when Dexter Balala was taken hostage by drug-crazed Diomedes Talbo at the Philtranco Bus Station in Malibay, Pasay on May 3.

The hostage drama dragged on for nearly three hours until Talbo stabbed the boy 13 times in different parts of the body. Police responded by gunning down the hostage taker.

Several of the stab wounds were considered fatal but the young hostage also sustained five gunshot wounds from a policemen who shot Talbo. One of the bullets pierced the boy’s heart.

Catalan said the policemen were re-assigned soon after the suspension ordered by the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Internal Affairs Service (IAS) was lifted.

The PNP-IAS had recommended the exoneration of 14 policemen and the dismissal of then Pasay police chief Supt. Eduardo de la Cerna and seven other policemen involved in the incident. De la Cerna retired last month.

The policemen were charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide for the death of Balala. However, the boy’s parents submitted an affidavit of desistance before the panel of prosecutors midway into the preliminary investigation of the case.

The panel had already submitted its recommendation to the city chief prosecutor. However, State Prosecutor Rolando Abrazaldo, who led the three-man panel, refused to reveal their recommendations. The recommendation was also reportedly forwarded to the Ombudsman for the military for evaluation.

The PNP-IAS investigated administrative charges filed against the 22 policemen, led by de la Cerna, for the failed rescue attempt that resulted in the deaths of Balala and Talbo.

After the requisite hearing, the IAS found de la Cerna guilty of serious neglect of duty. Seven of the Pasay policemen, PO3s Marco Duka, Rodolfo Soquina, Jr., Ashley Gamulo, and Leoncio Muñoz, PO2s Alfredo Villa and PO1 Gregorio Mendoza, Jr. were found guilty of gross misconduct. PO2 Joseph Gabe, the police station radio operator, was found guilty of serious neglect of duty after he failed to inform other Pasay police heads and the Southern Police District (SPD) headquarters of the ongoing hostage situation.

Cleared were Baral, Inspectors Editha Altera and Aquilino Almanza, PO3 Jonard Castro, PO2s Renato Llano, Raymundo Sabino, Florante Nobleza, and Roberto Gonzales, and PO1s Jay Martinez, Ronald Garcia, Domingo Landong, Christopher Torres, Andito Guardian, and Lemuel Galang. – Nikko Dizon