Eyed as state witness in ‘sabungeros’ case
TWO persons of interest in the case of the missing “sabungeros” or cockfighting enthusiasts have been arrested in a Southeast Asian country and are being eyed as state witnesses, the PNP said yesterday.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said Jose and Elakim Patidongan are the brothers of whistleblower Julie Patidongan, alias Totoy, who has filed administrative charges against 12 active policemen for their involvement in the case.
Fajardo said the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), in coordination with the Bureau of Immigration, apprehended Jose and Elakim in a Southeast Asian country, which she did not identify.
She said the two are being considered as state witnesses in the case, saying their testimonies can corroborate the statements made by alias Totoy to authorities.
“These two gentlemen are very critical in the investigation,” she said.
Fajardo said that to qualify as state witnesses, Jose and Elakim will be charged as suspects in the missing sabungeros case.
“The only way for them to be discharged as state witnesses is to file cases against them first,” said Fajardo, adding, however, that state witnesses should not be the “most guilty” among the perpetrators in a case.
“These two persons, we believe, can corroborate (the testimonies of alias Totoy) because they have direct participation in the disappearance of two missing sabungeros – Michael Bautista and Melbert John Santos,” the PNP spokesperson said.
Fajardo said Jose was seen in a closed-circuit television footage escorting Bautista, who was in handcuffs.
Elakim, according to police investigation, withdrew money from an ATM machine in Batangas using the card of Santos.
Alias Totoy has told investigators that two men withdrew from an ATM in Batangas and escorted Bautista.
“However, he did not mention these two are his brothers,” Fajardo said.
Fajardo did not say when Jose and Elakim were arrested in the undisclosed country, but said they were brought back to the country last July 22.
She said Elakim was arrested for illegally using an alias, noting that he used a passport bearing the name “Robert Baylon” in traveling to the Asian country.
Jose, on the other hand, has a standing arrest warrant after he was found guilty for robbery. Fajardo said Jose has been presented to the court that convicted him, but did not elaborate on the robbery case.
NO DNA PROFILE
Fajardo said the PNP has failed to extract DNA profile from the bones that were recovered by the Philippine Coast Guard in Taal Lake, where there is an ongoing search and retrieval operations being conducted for the remains of the missing sabungeros.
Patidongan has said the sabungeros were killed and their bodies dumped in Taal Lake, prompting the PCG to conduct the diving operations in the area.
Officials have earlier said the DNA profiles that may be extracted from the bones will be crossmatched with the samples taken from the kins of the sabungeros.
But Fajardo said: “On the recovered possible human remains in Taal Lake, it’s a bit of a challenge. Since they’re submerged for a long time already, we were not able to extract DNA profile.”
However, Fajardo said the PNP Forensic Group was able to extract DNA profiles from the three cadavers of two males and one female that were exhumed at a cemetery in Batangas.
The cadavers, which were exhumed about two weeks ago, were suspected to be among the abducted cockfighters.
Fajardo said the DNA profiles did not match with the samples taken from 23 family members of the sabungeros.
The PNP has accounted 34 missing sabungeros, but Patidongan said the number could reach 100.
“It’s negative when it comes to the matching to the 23 DNA reference of those who came forward and provided DNA profile,” she said.
Fajardo again appealed to the family members of the other missing cockfighting enthusiasts to assist the PNP in the conduct of the DNA examination.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, in a statement late Thursday, said: “The DOJ (Department of Justice) understands the challenges of our DNA-testing capacities. This is exactly why we have asked the Japanese government to help us with testing the remains found.”
Remulla said the DOJ will continue to investigate the case despite the development in the DNA testing of the recovered bones.
“With the President’s statements in the SONA, the government is expected to see beyond these challenges and find a way to get to the truth and deliver justice.”
MACAPAZ
Meanwhile, Fajardo said the recent transfer of CIDG director Brig. Gen. Romeo Macapaz to another post has nothing to do with the arrest of Jose and Elakim.
Macapaz was recently designated as director of the Soccsksarge police regional office.
“It’s kind of unfair to even insinuate that General Macapaz did something wrong. It’s so unfair, it’s very unfair on the part of General Macapaz to be accused of trying to muddle the investigation. In reality, he just did his job,” Fajardo said.
She said Macapaz requested to be transferred to another position so that another brigadier general can be appointed as CIDG director and subsequently promoted to the higher rank of major general.
She said Macapaz, under the rule, cannot be promoted to the higher rank because he has less than a year in service left.
“I want to confirm that it was General Macapaz who requested the chief PNP (Gen. Nicolas Torre III) to be transferred because it’s a two-star (major general) position… and the chief PNP acceded to his request,” she said.
Remulla has earlier said he has asked Torre to relieve a police service commander involved in the investigation on the missing sabungeros. He did not name the police service commander.
Remulla said he called for the police official’s relief because he did something “that I don’t like,” but did not elaborate. – With Ashzel Hachero
