Baliuag cops hit for deaths of 4 innocent civilians

BALIUAG, Bulacan — The relief of this town’s entire police force was demanded yesterday by angry relatives and friends of a funeral parlor manager and three others who were mistakenly identified as members of a robbery gang and slain inside a restaurant here Tuesday night.

Family members of Leovino Gonzales, 66, a retired sheriff of the Regional Trial Court of Malolos City and manager of the Lualhati Funeral Homes in Barangay Bagong Nayon here, called on the Philippine National Police to punish the Baliuag policemen.

Witnesses said that contrary to police reports, there was no shootout and the police officers just shot two suspected robbers and four bystanders, including Gonzales.

Gonzales and his friends, electronics shop owner Danilo Piosco and tricycle driver Florentino Mallari, were having a snack at the Janet Videoke Bar, which is just across the funeral parlor, when the incident happened.

Reports said the two suspected members of the "Shotgun Gang," who were later identified as Honorio Simbulan and Jason Ramos, later arrived and several policemen followed them.

Witnesses said the policemen ordered all the women to go out of the restaurant, then shot all the remaining men inside, including the group of Gonzales.

Gonzales’ son Miguelito said most local policemen knew his father and that he was not a robber.

"Pinatay na nila ang aming ama, pinasama pa nila (They already killed our father, they even damaged his reputation)," he said.

Gonzales’ family said it was impossible for their father to be involved in a criminal group since he was diabetic and had problems walking.

They said the entire Baliuag police force should be relieved to give justice to the innocent victims.

"Kilalang-kilala ng mga pulis Baliuag ang father namin dahil doon siya sa Lualhati Funeral Homes nagtatrabaho at kapag may napapatay ang mga pulis ay siya ang unang tinatawag (The Baliuag policemen knew my father very well because he worked at the Lualhati Funeral Homes. Whenever they killed someone, they would call my father first)," said Elaine Valerio, Gonzales’ eldest daughter.

The families of Piosco, Mallari and another bystander, Renato Balajadia, also insisted that they were not robbers, but law-abiding citizens.

Balajadia’s wife, Rosemarie, who works as a dishwasher at the restaurant, said her husband only went there to pick her up after work.

Mallari’s father, Florentino Sr., said his son had no criminal record and was just a tricycle driver.

Sources said the initial police report did not include the name of the elder Gonzales, and instead included a certain Arnel Ramos, who was listed as one of the slain gang members.

Another gang member was identified as Jayson Ramos, but his relatives said he is actually Daniel Simbulan, a nephew of the slain gang leader, Honorio Simbulan.

These mistakes in the identification of the slain men showed that the local police tried to cover up their bungled operation, observers said.

The six slain men, including the four bystanders, were tagged in the police report as members of the "Shotgun Gang," blamed for a series of robberies here.

Employees of the Malolos City RTC where Gonzales used to work have joined the call of Baliuag residents for the relief of the municipal police force, saying the killings of the four innocent bystanders were unthinkable.

They said Bulakeños do not deserve rogue cops who cannot distinguish between a suspect and an innocent civilian.

Senior Superintendent Benedict Michael Fokno, Bulacan police director, refused to give any comment and did not reply to several text messages sent by The STAR.

The anti-crime group Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) urged the National Bureau of Investigation and the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to probe the Baliuag incident. — With Mike Punongbayan