Dismissal for two Malabon cops

Northern Police District (NPD) director Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr. ordered yesterday the dismissal from the service of two Malabon City police officers for alleged grave misconduct and gross incompetence.

Police Officer 2 Redentor Mantala and Police Officer 1 Reynaldo Gabatin, assigned as investigators of the Malabon City police Station Investigation Branch (SIB), were ordered dropped out of the police roster for bungling the investigation of a murder case a year ago.

"This is to show northern Metro Manila residents, particularly those who are underprivileged, that here at NPD we will accord them justice," said Superintendent Edgar Paulino, chief of NPD legal service, as he urged other victims of police abuses to come out in the open and report them to proper authorities.

Gabatin and Mantala were the investigators tasked to handle a murder case involving a victim, Rosendo Bahala, who was stabbed dead by a certain Wilson Parajura on July 18, 2002 in Malabon City.

Summary hearing officer Inspector Alberto David noted the alleged shabby treatment of the case.

David pointed out that Mantala and Gabatin committed gross incompetence for their failure to gather evidences against Parajura including taking the of statements of arresting officers PO3 Gerardo Bautista and PO1 Lunaver Basa.

"By sheer lack of ability in performing their investigative responsibility, respondents (Gabatin and Mantala) are found to be grossly incompetent," David said.

He claimed that Mantala and Gabatin intentionally bungled the investigation of Bahala’s death after his remains were pulled out by his relatives from the funeral parlor being allegedly patronized by the police investigators reportedly in exchange "for a commission."

Superintendent Isaias Antonio, NPD police community relations chief, assured Camanava residents that the NPD is always ready to tackle their grievances against abusive police officers.

Franco, on the other hand, warned his men on committing any irregularity in performing their sworn duty or suffer the same fate of the two Malabon policemen. — Pete Laude