2 cops cleared in fatal shooting

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna – The National Police Commission (Napolcom) in Calabarzon has cleared two police officers accused of killing a man who ran amuck and attacked a woman and two minors more than a week ago in Lucena, Quezon.

Owen de Luna, chief of the Napolcom-Calabarzon, yesterday said that M/Sgts. Gregorio Manalo and Peterson Delfin Yñego, both of the Dalahican substation of the Lucena police, have been reinstated to their posts.

Investigation showed the officers observed standard police operation procedure when they responded to the incident.

Reports said the suspect, identified as Jeffrey Cosejo, hit a 19-year-old woman and two minors with a piece of wood on Nov. 12.

Manalo and Yñego were disarmed and charged over the incident. They were relieved from their posts and transferred to the Quezon provincial police headquarters.

De Luna said that witnesses’ testimonies and video footage from a closed-circuit television camera installed near the scene of the incident showed imminent threat and danger to the life of the officers, which prompted them to shoot the suspect.

A relative of Cosejo voluntarily executed an affivadit of disinterest in filing criminal cases against Manalo and Yñego.