8 cops plead not guilty in 2008 Parañaque shootout

Manila, Philippines - Eight members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Highway Patrol Group, who were ordered arrested by the Court of Appeals (CA) for their alleged involvement in the 2008 Parañaque shootout, pleaded not guilty to double murder charges yesterday.

Chief Inspectors Lawrence Cajipe and Joel Mendoza, Inspector Gerardo Balacutan, PO3 Jolito Mamanao Jr., PO3 Fernando Rey Gapuz, PO2 Eduardo Blanco, PO2 Edwin Santos, and PO1 Josil Rey Lucena said they will file motions for bail.

Judge Jaime Guray of the Parañaque Regional Trial Court Branch 260 set the bail hearings on Aug. 2, 8, and 10. The pretrial, where lawyers will present to the court the names of the witnesses and documents to be used for the trial, was set on Aug. 1.

The cops were charged for the deaths of Alfonso de Vera and his daughter Lia Allana, who were caught in a crossfire while policemen were chasing a group of robbers on Dec. 5, 2008.

The eight were initially cleared by the trial court in 2010, but were ordered arrested by the appellate court last month. The CA said Guray committed an error in immediately dismissing the cases against Cajipe and his team.

Twenty-five policemen were originally charged but the 17 members of the PNP- Special Action Force were acquitted for lack of evidence last May.