Sta. Fe calls shooting incident an overkill

CEBU, Philippines - The municipal council of Santa Fe, Bantayan Island has condemned the acts of two of its police officers during a shooting incident in Barangay Pooc, calling their reaction an “overkill”.

The council, in its session last Monday, passed the resolution sponsored by councilor Jayson Repaso condemning the act of PO2 Erwin Odena and PO1 Isabelo Caracena of the Santa Fe Police Station.

The resolution also requested the National Bureau of Investigation-7 to conduct an immediate, thorough and independent investigation on the incident.

Last July 6, 2012 around 1:30 a.m., a certain Samuel Cayuban was shot by the said policemen during a benefit dance held at Barangay Pooc, Santa Fe.

Odena and Caracena were reportedly conducting an intelligence operation at the said place before the incident happened.

According to a police report, a barangay tanod reported an armed person to the policemen who immediately approached and frisked Cayuban and found gun tucked in his waist.

Caracena reportedly asked Cayuban to put his gun down but the latter allegedly shot at him but missed.

Caracena fired back at Cayuban several times using his .45 cal. pistol while Odena also shot the victim resulting to his immediate death.

Repaso, who is a lawyer by profession, questioned why the policemen did not confiscate the gun of Cayuban after they found it on him.

“The aforesaid police officers employed excessive unreasonable force, and worst, intentionally committed a crime by shooting desperately against the victim by firing more than eight shots without any apparent aggression on his part,” Repaso said.

Repaso said that the police officers failed to observe the proper rules of engagement and standard operating procedures in implementing arrest and a crime on the said shooting incident.

The resolution also requested the Police Regional Office-7 to conduct its investigation in order to prevent a similar violation by police officers in the future. —(FREEMAN)