Cops reminded: Observe SOP during operation

CEBU, Philippines - Following the guilty verdict on controversial policeman Adonis Dumpit for shooting a robbery suspect 10 years ago, the Police Regional Office-7 yesterday emphasized the importance of following standard operating procedure at all times.

Senior Superintendent Edward Carranza, the chief of staff, said following the SOP is the only way to get the trust of the public and to avoid getting charged wrongfully for an act made in line of duty.

“A policeman who put a criminal in jail is the best thing… one thing is for sure, the PNP organization is trying to review (also) police operations,” he said yesterday.

The court has sentenced Dumpit up to nine years in prison and ordered him to pay the victim’s family P50,000. The victim, Ronron Go, was 17 years old when he was killed.

Dumpit was responding to a robbery alarm and claimed he only fired back at Go’s group and could not determine if he indeed hit Go, considering he was running at that time.

Dumpit and two other policemen were off duty at that time and were not in uniform.

His lawyer, Pedro Leslie Salva, told The Freeman that they will ask the court to reconsider its decision and, at the same time, ask that Dumpit be granted temporary liberty. Dumpit was detained for more than four years after he pleaded “not guilty” to the murder charge in 2010.

Salva said his client is “okay”.

Dumpit’s other lawyer, Benjamin Militar, said Dumpit had hoped for a dismissal of the case.

“Yes. Well…like everybody else, he is hopeful,” he said.

Downgraded

The court had downgraded Dumpit’s case into homicide after finding that the elements of murder, treachery and taking advantage of superior strength, were not present in the case.

“Considering that the prosecution was not able to prove the aggravating circumstances of treachery and abuse of superior strength, the accused should only be held criminally liable for the crime of homicide,” the court’s ruling reads.

The robbery victim, Kimberly, said in her testimony that while she and her friend were onboard a public utility jeepney (PUJ) plying the SM-Colon route, Go’s group allegedly boarded the vehicle and grabbed her necklace. When she resisted, Go allegedly pointed his gun at her forehead.

Autopsy report revealed that Go has two gunshot wounds.

According to Dr. Gil Macato, former medico-legal officer of the National Bureau of Investigation-7, the first wound of Go was located at the back, in the lower chest wall and exited at the upper chest wall.  — (FREEMAN)