Wednesday, April 11, 2007 Witnesses, cops fail to show up at meeting
WITNESSES and the responding policemen from the San Nicolas Police Station failed to show up yesterday morning, prompting the Homicide Section to cancel a clarificatory conference on the fatal shootout between PO2 Jessie Yramis and Air Force Sgt. Darwin Busico.
Both Yramis and Busico died after trading shots in front of 7E Antigua restaurant and videoke bar along T. Abella St. in Barangay San Nicolas Proper last Maundy Thursday.
Acting Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador said that Busico’s wife and witnesses Renato Paon and Arnel Jurado, who are neighbors and friends of Busico, did not appear at the Homicide Section.
Only PO2 Jasper Nuñez showed up. He represented the responding policemen.
The conference, scheduled at 8 a.m. yesterday, was called to straighten out conflicting testimonies on the circumstances that ended in the shootout.
These included the report that it was Yramis who pointed a finger at Busico’s wife Ana Liezel, which irked the soldier.
The other version is that it was Ana Liezel who pointed a finger at the police officer, prompting the latter to slap her hand.
The investigators also need to establish Yramis’ real purpose in going to the area—whether it was to find his missing cellular phone or to respond to an armed person alarm.
An affidavit of Paon, which was executed last April 5, said that it was Yramis who first pulled out his .38 caliber revolver service firearm and shot Busico.
With the failure of the witnesses to show up, Comendador directed the Homicide Section headed by Insp. Mario Monilar to go to the houses of the witnesses and Ana Liezel to question them.
Comendador, however, clarified that the investigation was initiated to determine whether the shooting was in the line of duty, which could affect both benefits and claims for both men’s families.
He said no one will be charged in the incident because both officers are dead.
As to the allegation of Ana Liezel that her husband was a victim of police brutality, Comendador said that Nuñez denied this.
Nuñez said the responding Pahina San Nicolas policemen were not aware that Busico was wounded.
Busico reportedly did not yield to the police, prompting them “to apply the proper procedure in arresting an armed person.”
Comendador reiterated his request for Ana Liezel to formalize her allegation so that the CCPO will have a basis for an administrative action against the policemen. (JST)
