Widow files murder raps vs 29 cops

MANILA, Philippines - A woman filed multiple murder charges against three police generals and 26 police officers before the Department of Justice (DOJ) Tuesday for the deaths of her husband and daughter during a shootout in Parañaque City last December.

Lilian de Vera said Director Leopoldo Bataoil, Chief Superintendent Leocadio Santiago Jr., and Chief Superintendent Perfecto Palad allegedly violated rules of engagement, which led to the death of her 53-year-old husband, Alfonso, and seven-year-old daughter, Lia Allana.

“They [policemen] were never provoked by my husband nor by my young, innocent, and defenseless daughter Lia. It should also be noted that my husband was already running away to seek help for our wounded daughter when he was chased by respondents and shot in the head and from the back, without any warning, thereby showing that the acts of respondents were committed with treachery,” De Vera said.

At the time of the shootout between the police and robbery suspects, Bataoil was the head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations – Northern Luzon; Santiago, the head of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (SAF); and Palad, the head of the PNP Highway Patrol Group.

De Vera said Bataoil, Santiago, and Palad, as the highest-ranking police officers involved in the shootout, cannot deny their liability for the deaths of her husband and daughter.

Bataoil said he will just allow the DOJ to probe what actually happened. He also said the robbers many have shot De Vera’s husband and daughter, as well as Police Officer 1 Nixon Vinasoy, who was among the 16 people killed during the shootout.

In her complaint, De Vera said her husband and daughter were in their Isuzu Crosswind when they were intercepted by policemen at the United Parañaque Subdivision IV in Sucat last Dec. 5.

The police, she said, might have mistaken their van for one of the getaway cars of the suspects.

She said her husband and daughter were on their way to pick her up in Pasay City to have a late snack together.

De Vera said she became apprehensive when her husband failed to arrive after almost an hour and was not answering his cell phone. She rushed home and discovered that their vehicle figured in the police shootout.

She said based on the affidavits of witnesses, her husband and daughter were in their vehicle when several police officers wearing Regional Special Action Force (RSAF) vests fired at them.

Her husband, witnesses said, went out of the vehicle, moved to the front passenger side where Lia was sitting, and carried her to safety as she was bleeding at that time.

The police, however, pursued Alfonso and shot him in the head while he was trying to bring Lia to a safer place.

Lia expired at the United Parañaque Hospital due to bullet wounds while her husband died on the spot.

Also named respondents in De Vera’s complaint are Supt. Jonathan Calixto, Chief Insp. Hermogenes Cabe, Senior Insp. Abraham Abayari, Insp. Erikson Roranes, Insp. Ludivico Cordova, PO1 James Yodong, PO1 Allan Apil, PO1 Efren Angcuan, PO1 Lloyd Bulayungan, PO1 Nemesio Gano, PO3 Hagar Torres, PO3 Jericho Otadoy, PO3 Guilbert Lopez, PO3 Felix Base, PO3 Eugene Papat-ew, PO3 Policarpio Jose Jr., and PO1 Sherwin Maybanting, all members of PNP-SAF.

Also charged were Supt. Eleuterio Gutierrez Jr., Chief Insp. Lawrence Cajipe, Chief Insp. Joel Mendoza, Insp. Gerardo Balatucan, PO3 Jolito Mamanao Jr., PO3 Fernando Rey Gapuz, PO2 Eduardo Blanco, PO2 Edwin Santos and PO1 Josil Rey Lucena.   – With Mike Frialde