THE Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service (IAS) has launched its motu proprio investigation into the incident that killed the mayor of Calbayog City in Samar, his two police escorts and two other policemen.
A civilian caught in the crossfire was also killed.
IAS Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo said they were looking into reports that the anti-drugs policemen who figured in the incident with the mayor’s group were not in uniform and were wearing bonnets. They were also carrying high-powered firearms.
“Ayon po sa police operational procedure, sila po may mga requirements po. Dapat sila ay naka-uniform, hindi naka bonnet sa isang legitimate operation,” Triambulo said.
Initially, Triambulo noted that the Calbayog City Police Office and Eastern Visayas Police Regional Office (PRO-8) reported different versions of the incident.
PRO-8 Director Ronaldo de Jesus said seven policemen from the Integrity Monitoring Enforcement Group (IMEG), the police unit that runs after scalawags, are already undergoing custodial investigation. Their firearms were being subjected to ballistic examination.
Triambulo said the report from the Calbayog City Police Office states that the mayor, who was on board a white van with his security escorts and driver, were shot at as they traversed Laboyao Bridge in Barangay Lonoy, Calbayog City at around 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 8.
The mayor’s police escorts retaliated and engaged the other group in a gunfight.
“Kung yan ay totoo, aalamin natin yan ba ay talagang official release from the police station ng Calbayog kasi that is dishonesty or falsification of public document kaya titingnan natin kung alin ang totoo o kung lahat ba ay false pero hindi mangyayari na parehong totoo,” said Triambulo.
The PRO-8 report, on the other hand, states that the mayor’s group fired the first shot at a vehicle “which they allegedly thought were suspiciously tailing them.”
The occupants of the other vehicle turned out to be IMEG and Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) personnel, who fired back. A shootout ensued.
It was the PRO-8 report that PNP Chief Debold Sinas received.
Killed in the incident were Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino; his security escort Senior Staff Sergeant Rodio Sario; Aquino’s driver Dennis Abayan; Captain Joselito Tabada, police chief of Gandara, Samar and acting chief of PDEU; and Staff Sergeant Romeo Cobococ Laoyon of PDEU.
The civilian who was killed was identified as Clint John Paul Yauder.
Sinas defended his men over reports that they were not in uniform and were wearing bonnets. Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento earlier alleged that the policemen were wearing balaclavas.
“Alam niyo naman ‘yung lugar na yun that is critical yan at malakas ang CPP-NPA activities doon. So part of our activities is to conduct red teaming. Iniinspect yung mga stations para malaman kung ready sila particularly na malapit na ang anniversary ng CPP-NPA,” Sinas said in an interview in Camp Crame on Wednesday, March 10. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)