MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said yesterday “it’s too early to tell” whether the wife of ABS-CBN news anchor Ted Failon committed suicide or was a victim of foul play.
Verzosa said the investigators would examine all the pieces of physical evidence recovered from the house of Failon and match them with the testimonies of individuals who were at the crime scene.
Failon found his wife Trinidad Arteche-Etong with a gunshot wound to her head inside a bathroom in their house in Tierra Pura Subdivision in Quezon City. Failon is Mario Teodoro Failon Etong in real life.
The broadcaster said his wife shot herself in an apparent suicide try due to financial problems, but police were still investigating if there was foul play. Even the Arteches believe in Failon’s testimony, which was confirmed by the family housemaids.
Mrs. Etong died Thursday night at the New Era Hospital, a day after she was rushed there.
Verzosa also pointed out that Failon’s stature as a top-rated media personality would not affect the investigation.
“All is equal under the law; we will investigate the case regardless of the personalities involved,” he said.
Earlier, Verzosa directed the PNP Internal Affairs Service to investigate allegations of “excessive use of force” by Quezon City policemen when they picked up Mrs. Etong’s relatives at the New Era Hospital.
The PNP chief said the investigation would determine whether the PNP personnel concerned acted in accordance with procedures or whether their actions were justified.
“We are treading on a thin line between doing our jobs properly and committing procedural mistakes along the way due to over zealousness in accomplishing the job,” the PNP chief said.
National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales announced the relief from the investigation of personnel involved in the arrests to “preclude any apprehensions on their integrity as members of the investigating team.”
The relief order, however, does not cover the arresting team’s leader, Superintendent Franklin Moises Mabanag. The scuffle between the police and Etong’s in-laws was seen on television.
Rights issue
The Commission on Human Rights said the police should face investigation for their “inhuman” handling of the case.
“We will really look into it because what we saw on video was really outrageous,” CHR chairman Leila de Lima said in Davao City.
“I immediately instructed our NCR (National Capital Region) office to set the hearing of the arresting officers of the Failon case,” De Lima told reporters.
De Lima was in Davao for the resumption of the CHR’s investigation into the activities of death squads there.
De Lima said the arresting officers shall be summoned to a hearing next week.
“They have to answer why they acted that way. Of course, there is a law that has to be carried out but they should have shown some sensitivity to the situation,” she added.
“I have seen the television footage (of the arrests) and it was really inhuman,” she said. The footage showed Mrs. Etong’s sister Pamela Arteche being forcibly taken away by policemen as relatives stood by helplessly.
Former President Joseph Estrada, in a statement, said the police should not claim it is part of their job to drag distraught family members of Mrs. Etong from the New Era Hospital for “obstruction of justice” while she was fighting for her life.
Meanwhile, Quezon City police chief Elmo San Diego rebuffed calls for him to resign.
“Why should I resign? Only when there is an order for my relief should I leave,” he said.
San Diego said the criticisms against him and his men have also affected his children.
He also denied rumors circulating through text messages of the supposed release of a forensic report on the case by the Scene of the Crime Operative (SOCO). “Somebody’s trying to muddle the issue,” he said.
“The result of the forensics will be released by next week and it will include those done on the body (of Mrs. Etong),” he said.
In a statement, the Quezon City police appealed to the Etong and Arteche families to cooperate with investigators.
“We appeal to the Etong and Arteche families, to the house helpers, drivers and to all the friends of the deceased to come clean and assist the police in finding the answers to the most important question: What really happened that led to the death of Trinidad Etong?” the QCPD said in a statement.
Harassment
Powerful people who have an ax to grind against Failon could have ordered the rough treatment on him and his in-laws by Quezon City policemen.
“I don’t think the police on their own would do it that determined. Parang walang sariling diskarte at sumusunod lang sa utos ng makapangyarihang individual (It seems they’re following orders from a powerful individual),” Sen. Panfilo Lacson said over radio dwIZ.
Lacson said the arresting officers were relieved probably to assuage the aggrieved family and the public but “there must be some people responsible for giving such order.”
He also said the administration might be responsible for the barrage of text messages against Failon.
He assailed the Department of Justice for showing its bias against Failon and those helping him despite insistence by Trinidad’s relatives that it was a case of suicide.
“Why relieve only the rank and file policemen? The police officials who ordered the illegal arrest are equally, if not more, guilty than their subordinates,” Sen. Francis Pangilinan said.
“Those who ordered the arrest at the hospital revealed their heartlessness and total disregard for the grief and suffering of the family. They are a disgrace to the (police) and do not deserve to hold on to their posts any minute longer,” Pangilinan said.
“Why wasn’t Mabanag relieved together with his men? He was there caught on camera overseeing the arrest in the hospital. He ordered his men to effect the arrest. He, too, should be relieved,” he said.
Sen. Loren Legarda said the disturbing footage of the arrest should prompt authorities to order a larger investigation.
“While the police must do its job, it must not be at the expense of the dignity and human rights of individuals. An impartial investigation of the incident is needed and will be in the interest of both the complaining family and the police,” she said.
‘Unfair conclusion’
Malacañang refuted the claims made by opposition legislators that the police were trying to get back at Failon for his being a fierce critic of abusive law enforcers.
“I guess it is unfair that they make that conclusion now. While of course, I reiterated in my statement (last Friday) that we are calling upon Quezon City police to conduct themselves in highest degree of professionalism in investigating the case,” Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said in an interview with dzRB.
He said the police probe should be done “with the highest regard for rules and regulations.”
Opposition senators have also raised the possibility that the administration itself is involved in the case because Failon is one of the staunchest critics of President Arroyo.
“Let’s leave the grandstanding to the politicians and we will do what has to be done,” Remonde said.
He said a system is in place to ensure that abusive policemen are punished.
“Now, if ever they have violated certain codes of conduct, we’ve seen that our system for that is in place, in fact we’ve already seen some disciplinary measures taken already,” Remonde said.
Not lawyering for Ted
Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief lawyer Persida Rueda Acosta denied she was lawyering for Failon and said she could not turn away his house helpers and driver who have been accused of helping cover up a possible crime.
“I cannot turn away the other members of the household because they are poor,” Acosta told The STAR.
She also stressed that she merely gave Failon “temporary” legal assistance when the case was still in its “custodial investigation” stage.
“Our part in helping him out is already finished, it was only temporary. We helped him out in notarial services,” she said.
She also denied that she had disregarded Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez’s call for her to keep off Failon’s case. She said she was not defending Failon as there was no criminal case yet against the broadcaster.
“He was only under custody (by the police), and under investigation,” Acosta said.
“Secretary Gonzalez never said it is not allowed for PAO to help out the maids or the driver,” she said.
On accusation that the police used excessive force, Acosta said, “It could be answered even by a common tao. You can see it in the video, it’s obvious.” - With Marvin Sy, Aurea Calica, Sandy Araneta, Edith Regalado and Reinir Padua