AWOL cop in Atimonan rubout case surrenders

MANILA, Philippines - One of the three missing policemen charged with murder in connection with the Atimonan rubout case last January has surrendered, a police official said Tuesday.

Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor, spokesperson to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima, said Police Officer 2 Nelson Indal went to Camp Crame around 10 a.m. Monday.

Mayor said that Indal reported to Chief Superintendent Samuel Yordan, director of the PNP's Headquarters Support Service.

Indal is now detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

The police officer went AWOL (absence without leave) several days before the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed multiple murder charges against him and 12 other policemen in connection with the killing of 13 people, including jueteng kingpin Vic Siman, in Atimonan, Quezon last January 6.

The other policemen charged before the Regional Trial Court in Gumaca, Quezon were Superintendent Hansel Marantan, Superintendent Ramon Balauag, Chief Inspector Grant Gollod, Senior Inspector John Paolo Carracedo, Senior Inspector Timoteo Orig, Senior Police Officer 3 Joselito De Guzman, SPO1 Carlo Cataquiz, SPO1 Arturo Sarmiento
PO3 Eduardo Oronan, PO2 Al BhazarJailani, PO1 Wryan Sardea and PO1 Rodel Talento alias Rodel Tolentino.

The other officers initially tagged in the rubout, but later cleared by the DOJ were Chief Superintendent James Andres Melad, former Calabarzon regional police office director, Lt. Col. MOnico Abang, former chief of the Army Special Forces Battalion that provided support to the police operation in Atimonan.

Ten other members of the Special Forces Battalion were also clared from multiple murder charges.

Marantan and his men set up checkpoint in Atimonan town after receiving information about a syndicate that would pass through the municipality.

Siman's group was passing through the Maharlika Highway in Barangay Lumutan when they were fired at and killed by the policemen.

Marantan's group had insisted that Siman and his companions were killed in a shootout.

Siman's slain companions include a police superintendent, his two police aides and two members of the Philippine Air Force.