NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office chief Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez has ordered the relief of the Navotas City police chief and 22 other policemen over the August 2 killing of 17-year-old Jerhode “Jemboy” Baltazar, who was mistaken for a suspect in a shooting incident.
Nartatez ordered the relief of Navotas police chief Col. Allan Umipig and his men on the recommendation of the Northern Police District (NPD), which is looking into the case.
Also relieved were Capt. Juanito Arabejo and Chief M/Sgt. Aurelito Galvez, officer-in-charge and chief of clerk, respectively, of the Station Investigation and Detective Management Section.
The 20 others included the six policemen whose relief had been announced by the NPD prior to the filing of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and administrative charges against them.
The six are Executive M/Sgt. Roberto Balais Jr; Staff Sergeants Antonio Bugayong Jr., Gerry Maliban and Nikko Pines Esquillon; Corporal Edmark Jake Blanco; and Patrolman Benedict Mangada.
In a memorandum issued last Tuesday, Nartatez approved the relief of Umipig and the initiation of an administrative complaint against him “for (his) failure to supervise the conduct of police operation and investigation, and command responsibility for the lapses in the investigation.”
Nartatez ordered the relief and administrative investigation of Arabejo and Galvez “for simple neglect of duty (failure to submit the six suspects to paraffin examination, failure to search for, collect, preserve and record evidence).”
The 20 others were ordered relieved and criminally charged for violation of Article 275 of the Revised Penal Code (abandonment of a person in danger and abandonment of one’s own victim) and administratively charged for misconduct for violation of Article 275 of the RPC.
In the memorandum, Nartatez said he concurs with the NPD findings that there was irregularity and neglect of duty on the part of the personnel involved in the bungled operation.
Last August 2, Navotas City policemen responding to a shooting incident in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran nabbed one of the suspects. The other managed to escape.
Policemen later conducted a follow-up operation at a river where one of the suspects was reported sighted.
Baltazar was shot dead by the policemen after he dove into the water when the lawmen asked him and his companion to get off their boat. It later turned out that Baltazar was not involved in the shooting incident.
The memorandum said policemen violated PNP Operational Procedure 2021, specifically (the) non-use of body-worn cameras, failure to observe the “force continuum,” failure to use a firearm under justifying circumstances and failure to observe proper procedure after an encounter.
