THE PNP yesterday vowed to make available for preliminary investigation the 17 policemen charged for involvement in one of the nine deaths during the “Bloody Sunday” police operation against communist rebels in Calabarzon last March.
PNP spokesman Col. Roderick Alba said the police force respects the decision of the Department of Justice to file charges against the policemen before the Dasmarinas City, Cavite Prosecutors Office.
“The PNP respects the recommendation of the Department of Justice to file murder charges against 17 police personnel who figured in a lawful police operation that resulted to the death of a labor organization leader,” said Alba.
The policemen were charged for the death of Emmanuel Asuncion, a labor organizer and secretary general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Cavite, who was killed during a raid at the Workers Assistance Center in Dasmariñas City.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the charges were filed based on the investigation and recommendation of a special investigating team.
Investigating prosecutor Rogelio Radoc Jr. set a preliminary investigation of the case on January 11 and 25 next year.
The 17 policemen were identified as Lieutenants Elbert Santos and Shay Jed Sapitula; SM Sgt. Hector Cardinales; M/Sgt. Ariel Dela Cruz, S/Sgt. Joemark Sajul; Corporals Ernie Ambuyoc, Mark John Defiesta, Arjay Garcia, Caidar Dimacangun, Bryan Sanchez and Ericson Lucido; and Patrolmen Jayson Maala, Juanito Plite, Jonathan Tatel, Prince Benjamin Torres, Jaime Turingan and Lopera Rey Dacara.
The Gabriela party-list welcomed the DOJ move to recommend the filing of murder charges against police officers involved in the killing of Asuncion last March 7, saying this could be the first ever DOJ-recommended murder charges for a “clear case of extrajudicial killing.”
“This latest development is an indictment of the government’s cold-blooded political killings directed against unarmed dissidents, as promoted by no less than the NTF-ELCAC. No amount of lies and fake news can bury the truth behind Bloody Sunday and the police have to be held accountable for this,” Gabriela said in a statement.
The militant party-list group, which is represented in Congress by Arlene Brosas, expressed hope that the DOJ Administrative Order 35 panel will also move to prosecute law enforcers involved in other extrajudicial cases of activists under the Duterte regime.
Meanwhile, two female New People’s Army rebels, including an injured medical officer, were captured by soldiers after a firefight in Talaingod town in Davao del Norte on Wednesday afternoon.
The Army’s 10th Infantry Division (ID) based in Davao de Oro identified the two as Masarinda Balite, alias Alina, a medical and supply officer of the NPA’s Sub-Regional Guerilla Unit; and Odessa Dumol, alias Ann, also of the same rebel unit.
Troops from the 1003rd Brigade were conducting a combat operation when they clashed with about 10 rebels, led by one Macky, in Sitio New Laslasakan, Barangay Palma Gil in Talaingod town at around 5:58 p.m. — With Wendell Vigilia
