Manila cops hit hospital for refusing to turn over evidence

MANILA, Philippines - Homicide investigators of the Manila Police District yesterday slammed the Ospital ng Maynila for allegedly refusing to turn over key pieces of evidence in a shooting incident.

According to Senior Police Officer 4 Virgilio Martinez, a certain Rosario Busalpa, reportedly OSMA’s nurse coordinator, refused to turn over to police the belongings of Jose Gerry Jordan, who was shot by a man in a car along United Nations Avenue at around 9:20 p.m. Monday.

In his report to MPD director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay, Martinez said they are after a wallet reportedly containing a list of cars with corresponding license plate numbers, which they believe will help determine the motive for the shooting.

However, Busalpa told police that the turnover of the victim’s belongings is against the “administrative policy” of the hospital.

Dr. Roberto Gonzales, chief senior resident doctor of OSMA, reportedly also refused to release Jordan’s body for autopsy, saying the hospital has its own accredited funeral parlor to do the autopsy. Gonzales reportedly is asking the police for a court order to release the body.

Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo, who heads the MPD’s homicide section, said “usually all the belongings of the homicide victims are being turned over by the hospital to the police to aid in the investigation. This is the first time that we encounter such hospital policy. Such actions are obstructing the flow of justice on the part of the victim.”