Slain robbery suspects not victims of rubout

POLICE authorities denied allegations that the killing of two robbery suspects last Tuesday in Malagamot, Barangay Panacan, Davao City was a rubout.

Superintendent Royina Garma, Sasa Police Station chief, said allegations of rubout are nothing new to law enforcers every time criminals are gunned down.

"Natural lang yan. Ganyan talaga parati nating maririnig sa mga kaanak ng suspek (That's natural. That is what we usually hear from relatives of a suspect)," Garma told Sun.Star Davao.

Garma also denied allegations that the firearms recovered from the slain suspects were planted by the responding police officers.

"Our evidence only relies on whatever we recover from the crime scene. It is part of our standard operating procedure to leave the crime scene as is and not place any other items in it," Garma said.

Garma also shrugged off accusations of torturing one of the suspects in the junkshop robbery along the Diversion Road in Panacan last January 25.

"It is already unnecessary to conduct a thorough interrogation on one of the suspects since we already have some information. All we need is additional information and we will get it not through torture," Garma said.

The slain suspect, who was previously reported as one Boboy Villanueva, was positively identified as Rene Boy Arcilla Villanueva, 36, a resident of San Francisco Village, Barangay Centro, Agdao district; while alias Rikoy was identified as one Ricky Cariño Condeza, 35, and a resident of Purok 37, Panacan Relocation, Barangay Panacan.

Both suspects were slain after engaging responding police officers in a shootout. Recovered from the crime scene were eight empty shells of caliber .45 pistol and a caliber .38 revolver.

Police are now conducting further investigation for the arrest of the three other suspects involved in the robbery incident at Marky's Junk Shop in Panacan last January 25.