Calabarzon police chief sacked

MANILA, Philippines - Amid complaints that members of the Calabarzon police have refused to cooperate in an onoing investigation of the killing of 13 men, President Aquino ordered yesterday the relief of the region’s police director James Melad and 23 other police officers.

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II said the relief was also in connection with the killing of a former gambling administrator by Batangas police officers the other day.

“President Aquino has lost confidence in the leadership of General Melad following the series of violent incidents in his area of jurisdiction,” Roxas said at Camp Crame. “Quezon was under his command as well as Batangas. So to have an independent and transparent investigation, we decided to have a change in leadership.”

This developed as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) summoned the members of the joint police-military contingent involved in the incident on Jan. 6 that led to the deaths of the 13 men including alleged jueteng lord Vic Siman. The man killed in San Juan town, Batangas the other day was reportedly Siman’s former employee.

Aside from Melad, relieved by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima were Superintendent Raul Mendita Tacaca; Chief Inspectors Cristitio Villaruel and Rodolfo Montes Ama Acohon; Senior Police Officer 4 Arturo Pelito Patulot; Inspector Kent Jerek Flores Capadosa; Senior Police Officer 2 Edgardo Ilagan Ilagan; Senior Police Officers 1 Edilberto Aclan Ele, Danilo de Sagun Piol, Rodrigo Silang Arguelles, Erwin Lajara Cetron, and Gener Putian Pineda; Police Officers 3 Jonathan Mandocdoc Cansanay, Allan Cacao Natanauan, Mark Christopher Garcia Aala, Luis Alexander Binay Capacia, Ruel Casas Dimaano, Florencio Marasigan Austria, Christian Atas Caguimbal, Marlon Arevalo Aguado; Police Officers 2 Herbert Gaor Rellora, Reynold Perlas Ramirez, and Bernie Dalanon Alday, and Police Officer 1 Michael Ulpindo de Castro.

But in another report released by Roxas to reporters, only five officials were relieved, including San Juan Police chief Superintendent Elpedio Ramirez, and Batangas police director Senior Superintendent Rosauro Acio, whose names did not appear in the list of sacked officials issued by Malacañang.

“The President has ordered Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Mar Roxas to relieve officials of the Philippine National Police with jurisdiction over the area,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press statement.

Valte earlier gave assurance that a fair investigation would be conducted into the killing of Fernando “Pandoy” Morales, 46, the alleged former employee of Siman, who was one of 13 men killed in the purported Atimonan shootout last Jan. 6.

Morales was killed Monday when he reportedly tried to shoot it out with police officers who were serving a warrant for his arrest for illegal possession of firearms at his home in Barangay Lipahan, San Juan town.

Morales’ family said he was a former administrator of Siman’s bookies in Calamba, Laguna, but the police have yet to confirm the information.

Roxas said the relieved officers have been ordered to report to PNP headquarters while a full investigation into the killing of Morales is being conducted by another fact-finding team to be created by Purisima.

The interior secretary said the killing of Morales took place under Melad’s watch.

“Suspiciously the serving of the arrest warrant was done at 1:30 a.m.,” he said.

Purisima said the serving of warrants on persons facing penalty of less than six years imprisonment should not be done during weekends and holidays.

Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. lauded Aquino and the PNP for the decision to sack Melad.

“His relief from office would give way to an objective investigation into the Atimonan massacre. It will save the organization from further criticism and unnecessary harm and conclusions,” Revilla said.

He also urged Roxas to ensure that Melad and other police officers that might have liability over the incident would be held accountable under the law.

The senator has filed a resolution asking proper Senate committees to conduct a full-blown probe into the incident.

NBI summons Dumlao, 50 officers

The NBI has summoned ranking police official Glenn Dumlao to present himself before the Death Investigation Division (DID) at 2 p.m. today, to give a statement regarding his knowledge of the Atimonan operation.

Aside from Dumlao, the NBI special investigating body tasked to look into the Quezon incident also summoned some 50 military and police personnel who participated in the supposed shootout, including Superintendent Hansel Marantan, head of PRO4A-Regional Intelligence Division.

Dumlao was said to be the case supervisor of “Coplan Armado,” a police operation that targeted members of a guns-for-hire syndicate operating in southern Luzon.

Among the police officers asked to present themselves before the NBI were Senior Superintendent Valeriano de Leon, Chief Inspector Grant Gollod, Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. General Allan Luga, and Melad.

NBI Deputy Director for Regional Operations Services Virgilio Mendez said the agency submitted its first progress report to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima last Monday.

“They were issued a subpoena and required to appear before us. Once we collate all the evidence, by Friday we will come out with a report, which would probably contain some of our recommendations,” said Mendez.

When asked if the report mentioned a rubout or shootout, he said: “We did not mention about it. Only the facts that we have gathered, testimonies of the witnesses, and there’s no observation nor conclusion yet.”

For her part, De Lima, who went to the NBI to meet with Director Nonnatus Caesar Rojas, said the PNP reports, all evidence, firearms, slugs and vehicles would be turned over to the NBI.

Mendez has branded as “hazy” information on the reported third vehicle allegedly seen by witnesses during the Quezon encounter.

“We just learned about the alleged existence of a third vehicle through media reports, but this matter remains a question,” he said, adding that until now they have no witness to identify the third vehicle that reportedly managed to escape the scene during the supposed firefight.

He gave assurance that the NBI is pursuing this angle as he expressed hope that it might have some relevance and materiality in their ongoing investigation.

Malacañang has also warned police officers who participated in the supposed shootout to cooperate in the investigation, or face relief.

The Palace said efforts to uncover the truth behind the killing of 13 people must not be derailed.

Valte said the Palace would not stop Congress if it wanted to conduct its own inquiry into the incident.

Investigators earlier said members of the Calabarzon police had been uncooperative in the fact-finding undertaken by a special committee formed to look into the supposed shootout.

“Refusal to cooperate will not be tolerated. Secretary Mar Roxas will be ready to relieve them,” Valte said.

She said officials would have to check the progress of the investigation and if there was truth to the report that they were not cooperating.

The Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) has ordered the grounding of 25 Special Forces troops involved in the Jan. 6 incident.

Led by their commander, Lt. Col. Monico Abang, 1st SF Battalion commander, the soldiers have been ordered to remain inside headquarters in Candelaria town.

Col. Generoso Bolina Jr., Solcom spokesman, said the confinement of the soldiers, including Abang and two other SF officers, to their headquarters was to ensure their availability for the ongoing NBI probe into the incident.

“In effect, they are not allowed to go on operations, home leave or vacation until the issue is resolved,” Bolina said.

But he clarified the soldiers were not relieved of their posts, only restricted inside headquarters.

Another checkpoint

Even before the supposed encounter erupted in a joint police-military checkpoint at the border of Plaridel and Atimonan towns, another checkpoint simultaneously set up approximately 500 meters away was purportedly steering motorists away from the supposed “ambush site.”

A source told The STAR that the checkpoint, set up near the town proper of Plaridel, was led by two police officers.

The source, who requested anonymity, alleged the officers were giving instructions for motorists to take a detour or alternate route, instead of taking the Maharlika highway where another checkpoint said to be led by Marantan was established. – Non Alquitran, Christina Mendez, Sandy Araneta, Jaime Laude, Michelle Zoleta, Ed Amoroso