Police finally file charges for Bacolod shooting, but.

Acting Bacolod police chief Superintendent Leo Erwin Agpangan said they were to file murder and frustrated murder charges yesterday against three persons, including a police officer, for the fatal shooting of a Filipino-Chinese businessman last Oct. 29.

Agpangan, however, did not identify the police officer. That’s very strange because Antonio Colmenares, son of the late fourth district board member Jesus Colmenares of Negros Occidental, earlier had named the assailant and came out with the possible reason for the killing of Dixon Chiu.

Colmenares, who was shot while trying to help Dixon, succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds at the Doctors Hospital Monday night. He managed to write down the identity of his assailant, believed to be a policeman.

Colmenares reportedly detailed in writing the identity of his assailant, his address and the motive for the shooting before he died.

A conflict between Chiu and an unidentified partner reportedly triggered the attack. Both the police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group had tagged the police officer in the attack but did not specify how he was linked to it.

Chiu’s helper, Ricardo Palabrica, is still confined at the hospital for wounds he suffered during the shooting.

Well, we hope that the police will finally come out with the identity of the lawman involved in the shooting.

I wonder why cops are very guarded when a member of their corps is reportedly involved in what is considered as a “hit” by hired guns.

Summary proceedings vs police instructors

Regional police chief Isagani Cuevas said yesterday he has initiated summary dismissal proceedings for the tactical officers and instructors accused in the “hazing” of 51 policemen and policewomen undergoing Special Counter-Insurgency Course Training at the Regional Mobile Group headquarters in Victorias City.

All the accused are reportedly under restriction at Camp Aniceto Lacson in the city.

Cuevas also directed provincial police chief Rosendo Franco to get the sworn statements of all the 51 policemen and policewomen who suffered maltreatment after he received the reports from the provincial and the PNP health service confirming physical evidence of the maltreatment.

That is needed, according to Cuevas, for the police to be able to find out if other tactical officers and instructors may be linked to the “hazing” incident.

“We would like to determine how many times the accused instructors had maltreated the 51 SCOUT trainees,” stressed Cuevas.

Franco and Superintendent Remo Zacharias Canieso, 6th RMG director, have recommended administrative charges against Inspectors Stephen Somosot and Dianne Grace Aquitania and PO1s Cherry Lacson, Jean Hiponia and Joemarie Arboleda in connection with the “hazing” scandal.

But there is also the still questionable death of PO1 Tristan Lolez who allegedly died of heat stroke. Cuevas said he is still awaiting the autopsy report from the National Bureau of Investigation.

The PNP health service found out that the 51 trainees had hematoma and contusions on their legs, buttocks and thighs when doctors examined them.

Several such incidents were also reported in previous years. Some instructors were suspended for inflicting injuries on neophyte policemen taking up the same SCOUT course at the RMG headquarters.

Cuevas pointed out that what these tactical officers and instructors did violated the anti-hazing law as well as the PNP’s training procedures.

ADDENDUM. The Iloilo Provincial Health Office reported that they had reached only 37 percent of the targeted 85 percent of the 1.6 million population of the province for the mass drug administration of lymphatic filariasis. Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado said the mass drug administration may be extended up to December. Fifty-six residents of Lambunao town in Iloilo were found to have symptoms of lymphatic filariasis, while 66 others were also found positive for the parasite in their blood. She added that there were also patients found positive for the parasite in the towns of Concepcion, Estancia and Carlos. In an advanced state, the disease is characterized by the bloating of legs and even testicles. The disease is mosquito-borne. It could be excruciatingly embarrassing as well as painful.