Friday, January 13, 2006
Police to take up with human rights office probe findings on Ortigas shootout
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) will discuss the reported findings by the Commission Human Rights (CHR) that no shootout took place between three suspected carnappers and operatives of the Traffic Management Group (TMG) in Ortigas Center, Pasig City last November 7.
Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, spokesman for the PNP, said TMG Chief Augusto Angcanan and police lawyers will meet Friday to talk about the results of the fact-finding investigation on the incident by the CHR.
The commission said it appeared in their investigation that the three alleged carjackers -- Anthony Brian Dulay, Francis Xavier Manzano and Anton Co-Unjieng - did not fire their guns and the bullets that hit a leg of Senior Inspector Samson Belmonte, one of the 10 TMG operatives involved in the incident, and the police car came from the police official's firearm.
The CHR also said their investigation further confirmed a video of the policemen's alleged "overkill" of the carnap suspects. It would release its findings before the month ends and included in it is the filing of appropriate charges against the TMG operatives.
But Bataoil said the TMG maintained that the incident was a legitimate operation. He said based on the report of the TMG, the suspects shot at the policemen first, prompting them to fire back.
He added that the TMG also presented the findings of the PNP Crime Laboratory Office, which found two of the alleged carnappers positive of gunpowder burns.
Nevertheless, the PNP spokesman said they will wait for a copy of the CHR's resolution of its investigation on the case so that they could take appropriate action on the matter.
The CHR looked into the incident following allegations of the families and relatives of the suspects that the incident was a case of "rubout". A video released by the television station UNTV showed some policemen shooting at the three suspects even if they already appeared to be dead.
The suspects' families accused the TMG operatives of using "excessive" force against the three based on the video.
But during a hearing of the commission, Angcanan said the three alleged carjackers were killed after they engaged the arresting TMG members in a shootout. He said the suspects had been under surveillance for alleged car robbery activities prior to the incident.
He said a video of the injured policeman, later identified as Belmonte, proved that the suspects shot at the TMG operatives, thus there was indeed an encounter. On the "overkill" allegations, he said his men were just protecting themselves from possible retaliation by the carjackers.
He also presented a security guard of the AIC Tower, which is situated near where the incident happened, who claimed that an exchange of gunfire transpired between the three suspects and the policemen. (JFF/Sunnex)
(January 13, 2006 issue)
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