Thursday, May 24, 2007 Quebrar clarifies: No shoot-to-kill order for ex-cops By Nicolas C. Delfin and Suzette T. Quingco
BACOLOD City Police Office (BCPO) Director Ronilo Quebrar warned Wednesday former police officers who were allegedly involved in the Salabas-Suganob-Lomoljo murder slay case to surrender their firearms or face malversation charges.
This is after two of the ten wanted policemen charged for kidnapping and murder of former Pahanocoy village chief Eleuterio “Dodong” Salabas, maritime instructor Ricardo Suganob and Maximo Lomoljo last August 31, 2003 were again involved in the killing of 20-year-old Ruliben Leganifa in Hacienda Bilbao, Barangay Punta Mesa, last Saturday night.
Police identified the suspects as Police Officer 2 Dennis Belandres and Police Officer 2 Ruel Villacanas.
“I’m giving them five days to surrender the firearms issued to them by the BCPO or else a malversation case will be added to their cases,” Quebrar said.
Reasonable force
“Knowing that they were armed, we can’t do things in a more peaceful manner rather than to use a “reasonable force” in case they fight back,” Quebrar stressed.
“We have already been directed by the office of Police Regional Office 6 Director Wilfredo Dulay to arrest them at all cost,” Quebrar said.
He, however, clarified that the use of the reasonable force doesn’t necessarily mean a “shoot to kill” order rather other means of arresting them through the use of force.
“We can’t issue a shoot-to-kill order, it is not necessary,” he added laughing.
Other former city policemen charged were Police Senior Inspector Bonifer Gotas, Senior Police Officers 1 Nelson Grijaldo, Bernardo Cimatu, Freddie Natividad, Senior Inspectors Jonathan Lorilla and Jimmy Fortaleza, Senior Police Officer 2 Winston Hulleza and Chief Inspector Clarence Dongail.
Among the ten, eight of them brought along there issued firearms after they were placed under Absence-Without-Leave (Awol) status and eventually dropped from the police roster last February due to the charges filed against them.
“I have sent them summons thrice already before they were placed under Awol status, but none of them came out of the open to surrender or just surrender their firearms,” Quebrar said.
According to Quebrar, Villacanas has a 9mm pistol and an M16 rifle issued to him ; Belandres - 9mm and M16 ; Gotas - M14, M16 and 9mm ; Grijaldo - 9mm and M16 ; Cimatu - 9mm and 12-gauge shotgun ; Lorilla - 9mm and M16 and Fortaleza - 9mm.
Earlier, there were reports that both Villacanas and Belandres were arrested by the Bago Police operatives in Bago City.
Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office Director Rosendo Franco, however, denied the reports, adding that intensive intelligence operations is still being conducted by his men to locate the whereabouts of the fleeing wanted policemen.
He added that he will reproduce several photos of the wanted police officers which were sent to him by Quebrar in order to distribute it to other police offices and stations in the province.
“Manhunt operation is still in the process against the wanted cops and I hope we can apprehend them soon through the help of our vigilant civilians,” he said.
