CAMP VICENTE LIM, Philippines — The chief of police of Tayabas town in Quezon and two of his men have been charged in court in connection with the killing of the son of Marcelo Gayeta of Sariaya.
Dominador Villanueva, chief of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) office in Quezon, said two counts of murder were filed against Lt. Col. Mark Joseph Laygo, Cpl. Lonald Sumalpong and Patrolman Robert Legazpi yesterday.
Regional Trial Court Branch 53 Judge Dennis Orendain issued the warrants of arrest at 1 p.m. yesterday.
Villanueva said the NBI would take custody of the three police officers, who are detained in the compound of the First Quezon Mobile Force Company at Camp Dolor in Candelaria.
Laygo, Sumalpong and Legazpi were positively identified by their fellow police officers present during a supposed law enforcement operation during which Gayeta’s son Christian and his companion Cristopher Manalo were shot dead.
Laygo was tagged as the brains in the killing.
According to a police report, Christian and Manalo shot it out with police officers who responded to reports of indiscriminate firing at a gasoline station in Barangay Baguio last month.
NBI probers said there was no shootout. – Michelle Zoleta