CHARGES of murder and arbitrary detention have been filed by the Department of Justice against seven policemen assigned in San Jose Del Monte City in Bulacan who conducted a bogus anti-drug operation in February last year.
DOJ Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar identified the police officers charged last August 25 before the Malolos City Regional Trial Court as Staff Sgts. Benjie Enconado and Irwin Joy Yuson, Cpls. Marlon Martus, Edmund Catubay Jr., Harvy Albino and Herbert Hernandez and Patrolman Rusco Virnar Madla.
The seven were assigned at the San Jose Del Monte Police Station Intelligence Section and the city Drug Enforcement Unit.
“They were charged for the baseless and unlawful detention, and eventual killing of six innocent victims, namely, Chamberlain Domingo, Chadwin Santos, Edmar Aspirin, Richard Salgado, Erwin Mergal and Jom Joshua Cordero,” the DOJ resolution on the case said.
“The DOJ Panel resolved that the unsuspecting victims were taken because they happened to pass by the area where a buy-bust operation took place. The eyewitness account of a person who was tasked to watch over the victims while they were being unlawfully detained inside the Intel Room of the IS/CDEU, and the photographs depicting the victims, all blindfolded and hand-tied, among others, supported the indictment of the abovenamed police officers,” it added.
The DOJ said the cops told the panel they conducted buy-bust operations on February 14, 15 and 18, 2020. In truth, however, no buy-bust operation was ever conducted against the victims.
“The reality, based on the evidence submitted by the National Bureau of Investigation-Death Investigation Division, was that the victims were unlawfully and forcibly taken on February 13 at Towerville, Brgy. Sto.Cristo, San Jose Del Monte City,” the DOH said.
The cases against Maj. Leo De La Rosa, Staff Sgt. Jayson Legaspi, Cpls. Jay Marc Leoncio, Constante Escalante Jr., Raymond Bayan, Paul Malgapo, Randy Camitoc and Patrolman Erwin Sabido were dismissed due to “insufficient evidence.”
