Kin seeks justice for 2005 ‘shootout’ victims

Relatives of the three men who were shot dead by agents of the Traffic Management Group’s (TMG) Task Force Limbas (TFL) two years ago in Pasig City, on suspicion of being members of the Valle Verde car theft ring, yesterday urged the Office of the Ombudsman to expedite its probe of the incident.

“We cannot help but question why the Ombudsman’s office, after 17 months, has not even started conducting a preliminary investigation of the case. We question why no one has been charged, relieved, suspended or prosecuted when the evidence is not just compelling but overwhelming and the lawmen’s identities and whereabouts are known,” said Monique Cu Unjieng, mother of slain suspect Anton Cu Unjieng.

Anton Cu Unjieng, Francis Xavier Manzano and Bryan Anthony Dulay were aboard a red Nissan Exalta when they were shot at by a team of TFL operatives on Nov. 7, 2005 in front of the AIC Gold Tower building at the corner of Garnet and F. Ortigas Jr. (formerly Emerald) streets at the Ortigas Center.

Anton was driving the car, Dulay was at the front passenger seat and Manzano was at the back seat when the incident, which police later claimed was a shootout, was caught on video by UNTV, whose office was just meters away from the scene.

Six months after the incident, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) recommended the filing of multiple-murder charges against 10 members of TFL.

They were identified as Senior Insp. Hansel Marantan, Senior Insp. Samson Belmonte, Police Officer 3 Lloyd Soria, PO3 Rizalito Ramos Jr., PO2 Dexter Pascua, Senior Insp. Henry Cerdon, PO2 Jesus Fermin, PO2 Sonny Robrigado, PO1 Fernando Rey Gapuz and PO1 Josel Rey Lucena.

In its 35-page decision, the CHR said it found probable cause to charge the 10 policemen with multiple murder as the police operation was “feigned, premeditated and treacherous.”