Quezon City Police District: EDSA encounter was no rubout

MANILA, Philippines - An internal fact-finding body of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) tasked to look into an encounter along EDSA last week declared yesterday that the incident, which led to the death of three suspected car thieves, was not a rubout.

The QCPD body’s finding contradicted the Commission on Human Right’s allegation. The National Police Commission has suspended 29 officers involved in the encounter pending the results of its own investigation.

The QCPD panel recommended the start of proceedings to determine if there was any evidence for two QCPD policemen and a police official to be charged administratively for any violation of police operational procedures (POPs).

Based on a statement released yesterday, the panel – headed by QCPD deputy director for administration Senior Superintendent Elmo San Diego — said the incident on the night of Feb. 17 “was a legitimate police operation.”

The panel said that based on video footage taken by ABS-CBN, “it appears” that a policeman from the QCPD’s anti-car theft and carjacking unit – identified as Police Officer 3 Randy Barrameda – violated POPs, but police evidence showed a different picture.

The crime scene investigators’ report “revealed that the relative positioning of the suspects, the trajectory and paraffin tests conducted are indicative of threat to safety and lives of the police officers, hence the return fire by the operatives,” the panel said.

However, the panel noted that the positioning and actions of the policemen who conducted the clearing operation “gave the impression that there was less imminent threat.”

The panel recommended that Barrameda be subjected to a “pre-charge evaluation” or PCE for possible charges of grave misconduct for using unreasonable force when he fired the three last successive gunshots and for not wearing a police uniform during the operation.

It also recommended that Senior Police Officer 1 Frederick Torres be subjected to PCE proceedings as he was seen in civilian clothing during the police operation.

As for the head of the QCPD’s anti-car theft and carjacking unit, Inspector Angelo Nicolas, the panel recommended that he be subjected to PCE proceedings to determine if he failed to properly supervise his men during the operation.

According to the panel, the administrative proceedings against two policemen from the Highway Patrol Group also seen in the ABS-CBN footage will be done by their mother unit.

It also noted that the wounded suspect was still brought to the East Avenue Medical Center for medical treatment.

The QCPD panel also recommended the retraining of Nicolas’ men in firearms proficiency, close quarter battle, special weapons and tactics, and human rights protection.

QCPD director Chief Superintendent Magtanggol Gatdula said the results of the fact-finding of the QCPD task force and its recommendations were submitted to the office of National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Leopoldo Bataoil.   – Reinir Padua