Wednesday, May 30, 2007 Raps filed vs agent for driver's shooting By Stephen Capillas
CHARGES of frustrated homicide were filed against an agent of the regional Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) by the Divisoria police precinct for the near-fatal shooting of a Pier route passenger jeepney driver at Velez-Yacapin streets at past 10 p.m. last Monday.
PDEA agent PO2 Jamal Kiran said the shooting occurred after he and the jeepney driver, identified as Diosdado Hortellano, figured in a heated argument, the nature of which was unknown as of Tuesday.
It was not known whether the two were drunk at the time or whether the argument occurred inside a passenger jeepney.
"We got into an argument then the conductor also got involved and then the two tried to gang up on me. I drew out my pistol to fire a warning shot but the conductor grabbed the weapon and it accidentally fired one shot at the driver," Kiran said.
Initial reports said the conductor, identified as Ramil Hortellano, and his parents refused to file charges against the PDEA-Northern Mindanao agent.
Later Hortellano signed a blotter on the incident but wrote it under the alias Ramil Ubanan.
It was learned after a while that the conductor's mother went to the Divisoria police precinct to file yet another blotter on the shooting incident.
Despite this, the Divisoria police precinct will pursue the filing of charges against the regional PDEA agent.
Senior Inspector Lemuel Gonda said they will file the charges in behalf of the victims.
"Even with a slight inconsistency in the two blotters, we will file the charges against the agent," Gonda replied.
The regional PDEA office, which had its share of past controversies involving some of its agents in the last two years, has yet to issue a statement on the incident as of Tuesday.
The City Council itself called on more transparency from the regional PDEA office concerning its agents and its operations.
