HPG cop in biker’s death now in Crame

MANILA, Philippines - A Highway Patrol Group (HPG) policeman charged for the death of a motorcyclist is not missing but is being held at Camp Crame, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said yesterday.

Over the weekend, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the HPG received on Jan. 18 the warrants for the arrest of Police Officer 1 Jonjie Manon-og for the Aug. 27, 2016 killing of John dela Riarte but “the police officer was nowhere to be found. We don’t know where he is.”

He called on the PNP to comply with the court orders, saying Manon-og was supposed to be under restrictive custody.

HPG spokesperson Superintendent Elizabeth Velasquez told The STAR that Manon-og surrendered to HPG director Chief Superintendent Antonio Gardiola last Friday, two days after the HPG received a copy of the warrants for murder and robbery, issued by the Makati Regional Trial Court Branches 145 and 138, respectively.

“PO1 Manon-og is not missing. He is now under the custody of the CIDG-NCR (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region). He surrendered last Friday. He requested privacy for the sake of his children,” she said.

Velasquez said she submitted a report to the PNP’s Public Information Office early yesterday but the PIO has yet to release the information.

Returned to Davao

Velasquez said the HPG chief immediately informed Manon-og’s immediate superior, HPG-Davao chief Senior Superintendent Joel Dimaano.

She said Manon-og was placed under restrictive custody of the HPG-Davao, his original place of assignment prior to his deployment to EDSA.

“Manon-og was among the HPG agents tapped to manage traffic along EDSA during the administration of President Aquino in September 2015. So when he was ordered placed under custody, he was returned to Davao,” she added.

Tamayo told The STAR that CIDG agents have returned Manon-og’s warrant of arrest to the Makati City RTC, which has yet to order where he will be detained.

Manon-og and Police Officer 3 Jeremiah de Villa were charged with murder and robbery.

De Villa reportedly committed suicide by jumping from the rooftop of the HPG headquarters at Camp Crame in August last year. Under the law, deceased respondents are automatically absolved of criminal liability.

The DOJ indicted Manon-og after preliminary investigation showed that he and De Villa shot a handcuffed Dela Riarte in a police car after arresting the motorist following a traffic altercation along EDSA in Makati City last year.

Manon-og was also charged with robbery for allegedly stealing the victim’s P30,000 cash.