Council to PNP chief: Restrict HPG-7 cops

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council yesterday requested Philippine National Police Chief Allan Purisima not to allow Highway Patrol Group-7 officers linked to the killing of lawyer Noel Archival while investigation into the case is ongoing.

Approving Councilor Gerardo Carillo’s resolution, the council said that to ensure their availability the moment they are needed in the investigation, the HPG-7 policemen should be placed under camp restriction.

Also yesterday, Councilor Nestor Archival yesterday called on law enforcers to speed up their investigation into the killing of his lawyer-brother.

He saw Purisima in Manila and urged him to place under preventive suspension Chief Superintendent Romualdo Iglesia of HPG-Region 7 and other law enforcers implicated in the killing of his brother Noel.

 Archival told reporters in Manila that Iglesia, Senior Inspectors Eduardo Mara and Joselito Lerion and SPO4 Edwin Galan were the subjects of a search warrant issued by Judge Soliver Peras of the Cebu City regional trial court after probable cause was established against them.

 Archival said his brother, prior to the killing, had filed administrative charges against 12 members of the HPG-Region 7, including Iglesia, before the Office of the Ombudsman.

 The councilor also said that one of the vehicles – a Toyota Vios – used in his brother ambush-slay yielded copies of several pleadings that his brother filed before the Ombudsman against the HPG men.

 He asked why the Toyota Vios, which was suspected to be a “hot car,” was used in the killing when it was supposed to be impounded at the HPG compound.

The city council also requested the PNP to conduct an inventory of all HPG-7’s vehicles for submission to the National Bureau of Investigation, to determine whether or not the vehicles were involved in criminal activities.

The council likewise appealed for the PNP chief to require all HPG-7 personnel to surrender all their issued firearms as well as those issued to their agents, for ballistic examination “to determine whether or not these firearms were utilized in heinous crimes.”

Noel, who handled high-profile criminal cases, was killed together with his aide, Edu Miñoza, and driver, Alejandro Jaime, in an ambush in Barangay Coro, Dalaguete town in Cebu last month.

Noel and his companions were heading back to Cebu City from Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental where they attended a court hearing, when their Ford Escape was fired at.

Sought for their comment, Iglesia and his men whom the NBI implicated in the case opted not to comment on the city council and City Councilor Archival’s request that they all be placed under camp restriction.

Senior Insp. Oliver Plania, HPG-7 spokesperson, said they are willing to comply once they get an order to that effect from their superiors. 

He added that they will also cooperate in accounting their issued firearms and vehicles if needed in their inventory.  HPG-7 has 50 personnel, including eight officers.

The National Bureau of Investigation had subpoenaed Iglesia; Chief Insp. Eduardo Mara; Senior Insp. Joselito Lerion, HPG-7 operations officer; and SPO4 Edwin Galan for questioning. —With Philippine Star News Service/RHM  (FREEMAN)