Motu proprio probe vs police responders of murder incident

A motu proprio investigation on the bloody incident that claimed four lives in Tagum City on Thursday, August 9, 2024, has now been conducted by the Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) to shed light on the purported infractions made by the responding police.

This, after a member of the Davao del Norte Police Provincial Office (DNPPO) who responded to the gruesome incident accidentally shot a 20-year-old bystander identified as R-Jay Cahilog who was present at the crime scene to supposedly help the victims.

Cahilog, whom the police thought was the suspect they were looking for, was hit by a “stray bullet” fired by Staff Sergeant Ritchel D. Ybañez.

“Pina-iimbestigahan ko na (We are investigating it),” Police Regional Office-Davao Region (PRO-Davao) director Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III revealed to the media earlier this week.

Meanwhile, according to a news report from iFM News Davao on Wednesday, August 14, the National Bureau of Investigation-Tagum District Office (NBI-Tagum) will also conduct a parallel and timeline investigation as recommended by the Tagum City Prosecutor's Office.

NBI-Southeastern Mindanao Office (NBI-Semro) director, lawyer Arcelito Albao also revealed in a media interview that the remains of the individuals will undergo autopsy.

Based on the spot report provided by the Davao del Norte police, both employees of a shopping mall in the city were stabbed to death using a kitchen knife at their boarding house in Talisay Zara, Magugpo East. They were identified as Jessa May Tabag, 19, and Joan Rondan, 28.

On the other hand, the suspect Nelson Narbasa, a 33-year-old security guard at Criss Inn and resident of Montevista, Davao De Oro, was killed by the police officers.

Davao Norte Provincial Forensic Unit (DNPFU) recovered seven fired cartridge cases and three fired bullets believed to be from a 9mm caliber pistol which were taken into their custody for further ballistic examination and one kitchen knife measuring more or less 37Cm. DEF