THE policemen involved in the deadly operation that killed a suspect, the suspect’s common-law wife, and their five-month-old son in Tubod, Lanao del Norte have all been ordered relieved.
Ordered relieved from their posts are eight members of the municipal Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team including two Swat officers and the Tubod town police chief, Senior Inspector Roland Donor.
All will undergo questioning by the Police Internal Affairs Service (RIAS).
The 8-member SWAT team were supposed to serve two arrest warrants in Purok 6, Taguranao village Monday dawn, September 11, but the police operation turned bloody which resulted to the killing of suspect Bevino Laride, his partner Virginia Delibo who is three months pregnant, and the couple’s five-month-old baby, Rex June.
Police insist Laride fought back and shot at the policemen, wounding Police Officer 1 (PO1) Yasser Macatbar, and that they were not aware that Delibo had his 5 month-old baby inside.
Superintendent Lemuel Gonda, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Northern Mindanao, said the relief of the policemen took effect on September 11.
The policemen have all been placed under restrictive custody at the Personnel Holding and Accounting Section (PHAS) of the Lanao del Norte Provincial Police Office.
Chief Inspector Arnold Lao replaced Donor as officer-in-charge of the Tubod town police.
The RIAS immediately launched an investigation on September 12.
Gonda said the probe will focus on how the operatives carried out the operation.
Lawyer Robert Lou Elango, chairman of the Police Regional Appellate Board of the National Police Commission (Napolcom)-Northern Mindanao, said they will monitor the progress of the RIAS.
"Para walay overlapping, mag monitor mi sa progress sa investigation sa RIAS," Elango said.
Elango said the probe aims to check how the operating team observed the rules of engagement and followed established operational procedures.
The investigation will also verify the necessity and reasonableness of force employed by the policemen.
"Tan-awon mana nato ang over-all circumstances para ma-assess kung justifiable ba ang gihimong reaction sa mga police," Elango said.
"Kung tan-awon nato sa rules ang maximum nga sanction is dismissal kung mapatud-an nga dunay sayop sa gihimo sa mga police kay serious and grave misconduct mana," Elango added.