46 cops face dismissal, suspension

MANILA, Philippines - A total of 46 police officers have their jobs on the line for allegedly failing to observe proper operational procedures during the Dec. 5, 2008 shootout in Parañaque City and the “rubout” of three car theft suspects along EDSA in Quezon City Tuesday.

The Internal Affairs Service of the Philippine National Police (PNP) found probable cause to file administrative charges against 17 members of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) for the bloody Parañaque shootout wherein 16 persons were killed, including six civilians.

Information gathered from IAS stated that eight policemen — Chief Inspector Joel Mendoza, Chief Inspector Lawrence Cajipe, Inspector Gerardo Balacutan, PO3 Joselito Mamarao Jr., PO3 Fernando Rey Gapuz, PO3 Eduardo Blanco, PO3 Edwin Santos and PO1 Josil Rey Lucena — must be charged with grave misconduct and serious neglect of duty.

It was also gathered that nine other policemen — Inspector Doroteo Tolentino, SPO1 Jayson Galimba, PO3 Arvin Ramos, PO3 Edwin Cuadra, PO3 Jesus Pacual, PO2 John Idio, PO2 Fidel Quirejero, PO2 Wilfredo Reyes and PO1 Elybeer Cayaban — will face summary dismissal proceedings for dishonesty.

Cayaban will also face charges of grave misconduct for misleading investigators as to his actual position during the shootout, which occurred about 100 meters away from the Sucat exit of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

“The IAS has found probable cause to proceed with the filing of summary dismissal proceedings against the policemen involved,” said Atty. Neofito Perilla, chief of the Prosecution Division of IAS.

IAS officials said penalty for the offenses could range from suspension, demotion or dismissal from the service depending on the gravity of their offenses.

In his report to IAS secretary general Jaime Tagaca, Perilla said the first eight police officers should face formal hearing for serious neglect of duty and grave misconduct for failing to adopt strict measures to secure and prevent entry of civilians into the crime scene.

Perilla said Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) who reported that a .45 caliber shell found near the head of slain civilian Alfonso de Vera was fired from Cayaban’s gun.

“So significant is this scientific finding as it would put Cayaban within a few feet away from De Vera, which is in complete contrast to his claim that he was on Sucat Road,” Perilla said in his report.

HPG police officers received a tip that the Waray-Waray robbery group was about to carry out a heist in Parañaque City on Dec. 5, 2008.

The HPG coordinated with the Special Action Force (SAF) and Southern Police District (SPD) to trap the armed men, who engaged lawmen in a running gun battle.

29 suspended for EDSA rubout

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) yesterday placed 29 police officers involved in the alleged Feb. 17, 2009 EDSA “rubout” under preventive suspension for 90 days pending the completion of its investigation into the incident.

Ordered suspended effective yesterday were team leader Inspector Angelo Nicolas, SPO1 Frederick Torres, PO3 Honey Besas, PO3 Glicerio Manacpo, PO2 Eugene Martines, PO2 Randy Barrameda, PO1 Ranmond Escober and PO1 Freddy Suliva, all of the Quezon City police’s anti-car theft and carjacking unit.

Also placed under suspension were team leader Senior Superintendent Fortunato Guerrer; Chief Inspectors Allan Macapagal, James Ramos, Henry Cerdon, and Francis Bunag; Inspector Rogelio Acosta; SPO4 Gregorio Aquino; SPO2 Wilson Prion; SPO1 Eliseo Dannug; PO3s Ireneo Reyes, Allan Joseph Bonggat, Joel Sabalvaro, Julius Arcalas, Edurado Medenilla, and Erwin Rubrico; PO2s Catherine Guerrero, Arlene Driz; PO1s Eugene Morales, Virgilio Sunga, Jessie Olpindo and Avelino Nunez, all of the HPG of the National Capital Region Police Office.

The suspended police officers are under investigation by the Napolcom’s Inspection, Monitoring and Investigation Service (IMIS) for grave misconduct, Napolcom chair and Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno said.

“This (preventive suspension) does not prevent the PNP chief from enforcing other penalties, including dismissal from the service,” he said. 

Based on a video footage taken by television network ABS-CBN, the Napolcom concluded that some of the police officers involved in the operation were not wearing proper police uniform.

The Napolcom said the police officers also did not try hard enough to warn the suspects and persuade them to surrender. Instead, the Napolcom said, at least four police officers approached the parked vehicle of the suspects, placing themselves in harm’s way and exposing themselves to possible attack from the suspects.

The Napolcom said the police officers used excessive force against the suspects. “The act of shooting the suspects inside the vehicle and the suspect who was pulled out from the vehicle are violative of the (POP), considering that the suspects did not pose an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the police or other persons,” the resolution said.

The Napolcom said the police officers should have secured the site of the confrontation, check whether the situation still poses imminent danger, evacuated the wounded to the nearest hospital, and accounted for the killed, wounded, and arrested persons for proper disposition.

 “In this case, the police operatives did not secure the site of confrontation and instead approached the vehicle without first ensuring that the situation no longer posed imminent danger to them. Moreover, instead of evacuating the wounded to the nearest hospital, at least one of the wounded suspects were shot dead at pointblank range,” the resolution said.

The Napolcom also ordered its IMIS to help the families of slain suspects Alfredo Pimentel Jr., Rolando Batapa and Romeo de Guzman file appropriate complaints against the police officers.

Puno assured the suspects’ families that the PNP will protect them.

PNP chief Director General Jesus Versoza, who serves as a Napolcom commissioner, told reporters yesterday that the PNP will be working closely with the Napolcom in the conduct of the investigation.

“We need to check on the things which could have caused the lapses,” Versoza added, admitting that with the PNP conducting hundreds of operations daily, rules of engagement could sometimes be violated by policemen.