CEBU, Philippines - Are the three policemen indicted in the murder of lawyer Noel Archival still where they were reassigned in Camp Crame?
Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. said that he received information from a source in the national office of the Highway Patrol Unit in Camp Crame that Senior Superintendent Romualdo Iglesia, Senior Inspector Joselito Lerion and Police Officer 1 Alex Bacani, who were tagged in the killing of his brother, are no longer in the Personnel Holding Administrative Section (PHAS).
Last week the Regional Trial Court issued a warrant of arrest against the three in relation to the case.
“Naka-receive mi og information recently from Camp Crame na wala na g’yud sila didto,” he said.
He said that the same source, whom he refused to name, also revealed that Bacani was even promoted.
“Si Bacani, gi-promote daw. Well, I have to verify it first. Pero dapat unta i-demote or what kay involved ani nga case,” he said.
Because of this, Archival said that he will be filing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman this week, but he will be consulting his lawyer regarding his complaint.
Lerion, Iglesia and Bacani were tagged in the ambush and killing of Noel Archival, his driver Alejandro Jayme, his bodyguard Candido Miñoza and his on-call assistant Paolo Cortes on February 18, 2014.
Noel Archival, Jayme and Miñoza were killed after the Ford SUV they were riding was peppered with bullets while they passed Barangay Coro, Dalaguete, Cebu, around 1 p.m. that day. They were on their way back to Cebu City from a hearing in Dumaguete City where Archival represented Jesuslou Elcarte Alegria, the alleged mastermind of a pawnshop heist before RTC Branch 38.
The FREEMAN tried to call the PHAS and the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame where they were said to have been reassigned but did not get any response.
According to the order from the national HPU headquarters issued last April 16, Iglesia and Lerion along with Chief Inspector Eduardo Mara and Senior Police Officer 1 Edwin Galan were relieved from their assignments and ordered to report to the PHAS in Camp Crame as part of the ongoing investigation of the case.
The order was officially signed by HPU Human Resource and Doctrine Development Division Chief Senior Superintendent Rey Butacan.
Consecutively, Police Officer 1 Alex Bacani was also relieved from his post and was reassigned to PHAS in Manila.
Meanwhile, lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna said he has had no communication with his client, Lerion, for two months already.
However, he said he still presumes that Lerion, Iglesia and Bacani are still in Camp Crame.
Dela Cerna said he will wait for the official statement as to the whereabouts of Lerion, Iglesia and Bacani before they make any statement.
He added once he can contact Lerion, he will tell the latter to respect the decision of the court and to assure him that he will protect his rights under the law.
Dela Cerna said he will be filing a motion for reconsideration before the sala of Judge Maximo Perez of Regional Trial Court Branch 26 in Argao for the issuance of the order of arrest.
Dela Cerna also said that he was able to talk to Bacani’s lawyer Reynaldo Lugtu and Iglesia’s lawyer Joselito Frial on Monday and the two were surprised by the issuance of the warrant of arrest. He added Lugtu and Frial are also planning to file for reconsideration.— Grace Melanie I. Lacamiento, Jean Marvette A. Demecillo, Mylen P. Manto —/BRP (FREEMAN)