Cops sue 2 witnesses for perjury

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Three police officials, who were involved in the raid of the ancestral house of former Pulupandan town Mayor Magdaleno Peña two years ago, have filed perjury charges against the two witnesses in the case.

The six-page joint-complaint affidavit, filed by Senior Superintendent Jose Mario Espino, Supt. Mario Baquiran Jr., and Supt. Marlu Conag before the Office of City Prosecutor in Bago City on October 27, accused witnesses Deolito Morancil and Jimmy Castanos, of committing “false testimony in other cases and perjury in solemn affirmation” in their separate affidavits.

Espino, Baquiran and Conag, along with several high-ranking police officials and assistant provincial prosecutor, have been facing administrative and criminal complaints with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Military and other Law Enforcement Offices in Quezon City, for allegedly conspiring in the raid of Peña’s house, which yielded several high-powered firearms and explosives on May 2, 2013.

Morancil and Castanos, residents of Barangay Ubay in Pulupandan—–along with Manny Rio, Joey Yunque Jr., Rey Asgar, Nelvon Gange, Armando Dela Paz and Jay Gange—–were the complainants in the case against the 35 police officers and the assistant provincial prosecutor for alleged illegal arrest during the raid at the former mayor’s house.

They sued the policemen and the prosecutor of the following criminal charges: maliciously obtained search warrants and abuse in the service of those legally obtained; searching domicile without witnesses; false testimony in other cases and perjury in solemn affirmation; arbitrary detention; incriminating innocent person(s); planting of evidence; graft and corruption; and penalizing obstruction of apprehension and prosecution of criminal offenders.

In addition, they also filed administrative charges of grave misconduct, oppression, dereliction of duty, misfeasance, non-feasance, and conduct unbecoming of a public officer or prejudicial to the best interest of public service.

Besides Espino, Baquiran and Conag, other respondents were assistant provincial prosecutor Maria Consolacion Bascug; Police Director Francisco Uyami Jr.; Chief Supts. Agrimero Cruz Jr. and Keith Singian; Senior Supt. Mafelino Bazar;

Chief Inspectors Kristoffer Bautista, Fernando Salvatierra, Jay Borromeo, John Mocyat Jr., Ramonit Javier, and Paul Jerome Fuentespina; Senior Insp. Alex Batiles; Inspectors Marites Abiog and Bernabe Gallardo; 

Senior Police Officers 3 Jayvee Aglipay and Raymond Bajar; SPO2 Jonathan Cocuba; PO3s Jim Balunes, Romano Boholst, Norman Octiva, Anthony Mahusay, Rogene Miranda Bandiola, Joe Dennis Santes, Jerome Javier, Joshua Barile, and Reden Remetre; 

PO2s Jerry Payot, Irvin Delfin, Milbert Sedel, Ryan Matilac, and Rey Demetria; and PO1 Jed Allan Vallega.

Espino, Baquiran and Conag, in their affidavits, insisted that the explosives were inside an orange plastic package when it was first discovered by the operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, contrary to the statement of Morancil and Castanos that it was planted evidence.

The witnesses statements were “pure lies,” they said, adding that PO3 Butch Domingo, tasked to take video coverage of the raid, attested in his July 31, 2015 affidavit that the rectangular box was found to contain the explosives.

PO3 Balunes also attested in his affidavit that he brought the recovered firearms, ammunition and explosives in front of the house at around 8 a.m. while Chief Supt. Cruz said he was taking pictures of the evidences with his cellphone and time stamp indicated the pictures were taken between 9:57 a.m. and 9:58 a.m.

The accused policemen contended that the raiding team “clearly show that the explosives were found early in the morning and not planted at 11:30 a.m. as alleged by Castanos and Morancil, who were accused of possessing the explosives.” (FREEMAN)