Kin ask NBI to probe cop’s murder

MANILA, Philippines - The family of slain Chief Inspector Elmer Santiago asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday to conduct its own probe of the official’s murder and its connection to his claim linking at least 30 police officers, including his classmates at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), to an illegal drug and cybersex ring in Bataan.

Members of Santiago’s family filed a formal complaint through the assistance of Jonathan Morales, president of Anti-Drug Advocate, and Ferdinand Magisa, the chairman of the group.

The advocates relayed to NBI director Virgilio Mendez the message of Santiago’s mother, seeking the bureau’s help.

“They no longer trust the police because they believe a police officer ordered Santiago’s murder,” Morales told The STAR.

According to Morales, Santiago’s family wanted so much to go to the bureau “but they are very scared to leave the house.”

Santiago, a member of PNPA Class 1996, was on “floating status” at the Central Luzon Police’s Regional Personnel Holding and Administrative Unit when he was ambushed in Mandaluyong City on April 16.

His wife survived the attack and “is ready to tell all, everything she knows, but only to NBI investigators,” Morales said.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police is focusing on Santiago’s murder and will not relieve any police officers named in the diagram, PNP public information office director Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac said.

“A police officer has been murdered and we will continue to investigate and get to the bottom of this,” he said in a briefing.

Drug, cybersex den diagram

Santiago had sent a diagram to Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima linking his classmates and several police officials to big-time drug syndicates in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), where detained drug lords could still allegedly run their illegal operation.

The diagram had the names of alleged drug lords, drug dealers, eight police colonels, one police major, and several non-commissioned police officers.

The Eastern Police District (EPD) created a special investigation task group on April 17 to probe the killing but Santiago’s family has misgivings, said Morales.

“How could they trust police investigators when they strongly believe that the cops, particularly Santiago’s classmates, were the masterminds?” he said.

Santiago named 11 police officials, 22 non-commissioned police officers and 11 civilians of being behind the illegal drug and cybersex den operations in four towns and a city in Bataan.

Of the 11 officials, nine were superintendents, and a chief inspector and an inspector. The PNP is tracing the present assignments of the police officials to get their side.

The 22 police officers are assigned at the provincial police intelligence unit, and the towns of Hermosa, Dinalupihan, Orani and Limay and the city of Balanga.

According to the diagram, the shabu is sourced from Chinese and Muslim drug dealers currently imprisoned in NBP and the ring reportedly also operates in Subic, Zambales.

The diagram did not mention the role of the civilians in the shabu distribution and cybersex den operations.

Mandaluyong police chief Senior Superintendent Tyrone Masigon said the task force has a copy of Santiago’s diagram. Asked whether the task force will question the 33 police officers in connection with Santiago’s murder, Santiago said the panel has yet to determine its next move.

One of the 11 officials named in the diagram is now the deputy chief of a police station in Metro Manila, Masigon said.

The police official filed illegal possession of firearms and explosives and grave threats charges against Santiago for barging into his office last March, according to Masigon. The prosecutor’s office upheld only the grave threats charge, allowing Santiago to post bail. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe