'Baby' Asistio accuses cops of mercilessly shooting his son

Rep. Luis "Baby" Asistio (LAMP, Caloocan City) claimed yesterday his son Luis III was mercilessly shot at by policemen, and that there had been no drug buy-bust operation as insisted by the arresting officers.

"What drug buy-bust? There was no such operation," Asistio told reporters.

The congressman admitted that his son was a drug user, but not a pusher.

Asistio said he had earlier asked several police officers to arrest his son and jail him if he broke the law.

"I cannot protect him if he broke the law. But as a father, I will not tolerate what the police did even if 'Piting' (Luis III) was into drugs," he said.

The younger Asistio and his live-in partner Rosario Ortega were wounded during a reported drug buy-bust operation Wednesday in front of their apartment on Labahita street in Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City.

Arresting officers said they were merely defending themselves when the congressman's son drew a pistol and fired at them. Seized from Asistio were 214 grams of shabu worth P400,000, P3,000 in marked money, an unlicensed caliber .45 automatic, two tooters used to sniff shabu, and dried marijuana leaves.

The younger Asistio is reportedly out of danger, but Ortega is still fighting for her life at the Chinese General Hospital in Manila.

Congressman Asistio said yesterday his son was shot at about 10 p.m. Wednesday but was only brought to the hospital two hours after the incident.

"Gusto nila sigurong maubusan ng dugo (They probably wanted him to bleed to death)," he said.

The lawmaker claimed Luis III and Ortega were shot in the back. Other accounts said the two were shot in the chest.

He said the 214 grams of shabu and the pistol had been planted by the police, and that the officers searched and ransacked his son's apartment without a warrant.

Asked what could have driven the policemen to gun down his son, Asistio said the only motive he could think of was that the lead arresting officer, Chief Inspector Rhodel Sermonia, wanted to get even with him.

"I was the one who had him moved out of Caloocan City because of his abuses," the lawmaker said.

Sermonia is the head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Bulacan.

Asistio, a close friend of President Estrada, said there was a possibility the Philippine National Police (PNP) is out to embarrass members of the House of Representatives.

"First was the case of Rep. Mike Defensor. Now it's the case involving my son. My colleagues are saying that we are being targeted one by one," he said.

Defensor has been accused of protecting four alleged prostitutes arrested by police last month. The young lawmaker argued that he was simply defending the human rights of the arrested minors.

Asistio said yesterday there will definitely be investigations to be conducted by Congress and the Commission on Human Rights on the shooting incident, but stressed he will not seek the help of the President.

"All I am seeking is justice for my son. If they can do this to the son of a congressman, paano na si Juan de la Cruz?" he asked.

He did not rule out the possibility that the buy-bust operation could be part of a "demolition job" against him by political rivals.

Meanwhile, Caloocan police chief Senior Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr. is still nowhere to be found.

Pagdilao's secretary said his boss filed a leave of absence early morning yesterday.

The "disappearing act" came a day after Caloocan police investigators refused to talk about the Asistio shooting incident.

Caloocan police investigation chief Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo said it will be the CIDG-National Capital Region that will be handling the case of Asistio.

Last Wednesday, Pagdilao made himself scarce following the shooting incident. His secretary denied The STAR an interview with the police chief, saying his boss was taking a siesta.

Police sources, however, pointed out that Pagdilao's going on leave was understandable, saying the police official has managed to hold on to his post for more than two years as a result of his neutral stand in the political rivalry between the Asistio clan and Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo.

The CIDG insisted yesterday the arrest and shooting of the young Asistio was a result of a legitimate buy-bust operation.

CIDG director Chief Superintendent Francisco Zubia told reporters that he and his men are prepared to face any investigation in connection with the incident.

"My men are ready even as appropriate charges have been filed against the suspects. In the meantime, let the law take its natural course," Zubia said.

Charges of drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms and direct assault have been filed against Asistio with the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Two other suspects, identified as Jail Officer 1 Ricardo Garcia and civilian Ronel Rivera were arrested during the bust. They are allegedly Asistio's runners.

Zubia regretted that the operation had to result in a shootout, but maintained that his men, led by Sermonia, had no choice but to fire back.

"Our policemen were forced to shoot . They had no recourse but to defend themselves against armed suspects," Zubia said.

He pointed out that during the arrest of Asistio the rules of engagement had been followed to the letter.

"Everything was done according to the rules. We even coordinated with the Caloocan police to prevent a possible misencounter," Zubia said.

Zubia noted that the CIDG agents did not even know it was the younger Asistio who was the target of the sting as a police asset in Bulacan only told them that a certain supplier in Caloocan could deliver a large amount of shabu.

Meanwhile, Malacañang announced yesterday that the President will not interfere in the investigation of the shooting of Asistio, who is the son of a close friend and political supporter.

Presidential Spokesman Fernando Barican said Mr. Estrada will not even make official statements regarding the case.

"This is a clear police case that should not in any way involve the President," Barican said. "The administration is saddened by the incident but the law will be upheld."

In another development, Justice Secretary Artemio Tuquero directed National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a thorough probe into the Asistio incident.

The DOJ chief asked NBI director Federico Opinion yesterday to complete the investigation at the earliest possible time and to submit regular progress reports.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Alfredo Lim said a separate probe by the NBI would dispel any notions of a cover-up.

"While we protect our law enforcers in the discharge of their duties, we will never condone any wrongdoing on their part," he said. -- With Mike Frialde, Pete Laude, Marichu Villanueva, Delon Porcalla, Gina Tabonares