3 cops ordered arrested for death of teener

Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Superintendent Oscar Valenzuela ordered yesterday the arrest of three policemen believed responsible for the death of a teenager whose body was recovered in Taytay, Rizal.

Valenzuela said the the suspects — Inspector Amor Cerillo, and PO1s Francisco Castillo and Jocelyn Amor — should be arrested to prevent suspicion of a "whitewash" in the slaying of 19-year-old Jonathan Diasanta, a suspected snatcher.

"They should be put under control while the case against them is being heard," said Valenzuela in his directive to Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City police chief.

Earlier, Velasquez filed kidnapping with murder charges against Cerillo, Castillo and Samson before the Mandaluyong City prosecutor’s office.

The three policemen went into hiding hours after the body of Diasanta was discovered in a dimly lit portion of Barangay San Juan in Taytay town last July 23. He was shot in the head.

Castillo was not in his rented room in Boni Ave., Samson failed to return home in Welfareville Compound while Cerillo, who is in school, turned off his cellular phone.

A witness, Anabel Asebuche, 25, an errand girl at the police criminal investigation unit, said she saw Diasanta with the three suspects and a certain Laine, leaving the police headquarters on board a mobile car hours before his body was found in Taytay town.

Velasquez established that the three policemen arrested Diasanta on a snatching case. However, the complainant failed to pursue the case prompting Castillo to release Diasanta, the police blotter showed.

But Diasanta’s mother, Teresa, a street sweeper, claimed that Castillo sent an emissary demanding P1,500 in exchange for the release of Jonathan. She ignored the offer, Teresa claimed.

According to Valenzuela, the suspects should be arrested and presented before witnesses for positive identification. Under police custody, the suspects would also be prevented from harrassing Diasanta’s family and their witnesses, he said.

Velasquez has vowed to work for the dismissal of the three cops. He said he is now readying the grave misconduct charges against them. — Non Alquitran