New Kuratong witnesses presented at DOJ

Four new witnesses against Sen. Panfilo Lacson and 33 other police officers accused in the May 1995 Kuratong Baleleng multiple murder case were presented at the Department of Justice yesterday.

The testimonies of the witnesses, all members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) at the time, bolstered the prosecution panel’s claim that the 11 alleged members of the Kuratong Baleleng bank robbery gang were summarily executed on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City early in the morning of May 18, 1995.

Lacson, the principal accused in the case, and his co-respondents claim that the gang members were killed in a shootout with police officers.

Senior Inspector Marlon Sapla, Police Officer 2 Gerald Antolin, PO3 Leonilo Lanceta and SPO1 Loreto Valle attested that Lacson and his co-accused knew that the gang members were all caught alive on the night of May 17, 1995 during a raid on a compound along Palm Street in Superville Subdivision, Parañaque City.

Chief Inspector Ismael Yu, a witness who had previously surfaced, presented the four police officers. He said several more police officers will come out soon to corroborate his testimony and that of other witnesses — radio operator Mario Enad, SPO1 Wilmor Medes, Senior Inspector Abelardo Ramos and tabloid reporter Armando Capili.

"The four witnesses agree that the... suspects were apprehended without difficulty. Sapla, Antolin, Lanceta and Valle are unanimous in saying that immediately after the arrest, they turned over the suspects, all alive, to the accused and returned to headquarters," Yu said.

Acting Justice Secretary Jose Calida said the statements of the four new witnesses should be enough to make Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch (RTC) 81 Judge Theresa Yadao inhibit herself and convince her she made a wrong decision to dismiss the case filed by the government against Lacson and the 33 other respondents.

Calida said the families of the four new witnesses will be covered by the government’s witness protection program. He confirmed Yu’s claim that five more witnesses are set to testify but refused to disclose their identities.

Sapla said in his statement that his team was assigned to secure the perimeter after breaking through the gate of the compound.

He recounted his meeting with Lacson, then police senior superintendent, along with then Chief Superintendent Romeo Acop, Senior Superintendents Francisco Zubia and Jewel Canson, and other PNP officials.

Sapla said the alleged gang members and some items seized during the raid were turned over to Lacson and the other police officials before the SAF team returned to the PNP headquarters. He added that he even filed an after-operation report but was ordered to retrieve it.

Sapla said it took years for him to come out with his testimony because he did not want to testify during the previous administration since he believed nothing would come of it.

Antolin and Lanceta were both part of the assault team that conducted the raid. They claimed that the suspects were not able to fight back and were presented to Canson, Lacson, Zubia and Acop.

Yu said Antolin and Lanceta were summoned by Lacson when he became PNP chief and asked them to issue affidavits stating there were no arrests made during the raid in 1995, blocking any support for statements made by Yu.

Valle was a member of the team assigned to secure the front and sides of the house during the raid. He said that after the suspects were tied up and the area declared clear, he called Lacson and his companions who were stationed beside the gate of the subdivision.

Valle described Lacson’s companions as "wearing civilian clothes and riding different kinds of vehicles."

When Lacson entered the house, Valle claimed to have heard him say, "Okay, SAF boys, back to Bicutan at kami na ang bahala dito. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat (We will take over from here. Thanks to all of you)."

The four witnesses said they were shocked to find out in the news that the suspects they had arrested the night before had been killed in a shootout.

Yu reiterated his call for Deputy Director General Edgar Aglipay, PNP deputy chief for administration and commander of the anti-drugs task force, to also divulge what happened during the raid since he was SAF chief at the time.

"We likewise call on other officers and members of the PNP who have knowledge or information about what actually transpired in the killing of the suspected Kuratong Baleleng members on May 18, 1995 to come out," he said.