Five counts of attempted murder filed vs policeman

CEBU, Philippines - A police officer assigned at the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is facing charges before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office for five counts of attempted murder.

Julian Soronio, 37, a resident of Barangay Mantalongon, Barili, Cebu claims that respondent PO2 Anselmo delos Santos intended to kill him on July 23, 2013.

At around 11:10 p.m. that day, while waiting for passengers, Soronio alleged that the policeman who used to be his neighbor and Jose Emnace of barangay Tubod, Barili arrived drunk.

He said delos Santos then asked his fellow motorcycle-for-hire drivers for documents before approaching him saying he has been looking for delos Santos for a long time now.

“…Delos Santos held my right hand while Emnace held my left hand and when he freed my hand, he then boxed me hitting my right jaw,” he stated in the complaint-affidavit.

He said the respondent asked for his driver’s license and documents pertaining to his motorcycle, prompting him to ask if he had committed any violation. This allegedly irked the respondent who pushed him to a table then to a parked motorcycle.

Sensing that the respondent pulled his gun from his sling bag, Soronio said he ran away and headed to the house of Mantalongon barangay captain Norman Anore Sr.

“I immediately entered the house of Anore and asked for assistance, the latter went out of his house together with barangay tanods Jose Soronio (his brother), Arnulfo Taburada and Nonito Ellado,” the complaint-affidavit read.

While inside the house, Soronio said he heard the respondent shouted, “Tanods, call a police.” A few minutes after, the respondent left the area.

However, at around 11:30 p.m. while he was about to go to the Barili Police Station to report the incident, the respondent suddenly went back and parked his motorcycle about 15 meters away and opened fire at the barangay tanods but failed to hit them.

He said the barangay tanods and ran for cover. When the policeman noticed him in front of the store owned by a certain Seding, the policeman opened fire but was unable to hit him.

After the respondent left, he said Anore and his men were able to recover seven empty shells and one live bullet of a .9mm caliber.

The Barili police led by Police Inspector Arvi Arbuis arrived and conducted an investigation. To corroborate the allegations of Soronio, the barangay tanods executed a joint-affidavit complaint.

Meanwhile, the respondent has yet to answer the complaint. JPM (FREEMAN)