MANILA, Philippines - Investigators are looking into items, including a suitcase supposedly containing a large amount of money, reportedly taken from the scene where 13 men were killed in an alleged shootout with state forces in Atimonan, Quezon last Sunday.
“Not only the suitcase was lost, but also other items such as cell phones (and) personal belongings,†said a source privy to the investigation of the fact-finding committee created by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The source said the suitcase was in the second Mitsubishi Montero sport utility vehicle with three men including Victor Siman seated in the middle of the vehicle.
The suitcase, the source claimed, was believed to contain some P100 million in cash.
The source said the suitcase was taken by a police officer with the rank of chief inspector.
“To be able to secure the suitcase, they rushed two of the fatalities to the hospital and at the same time took away the suitcase,†the source said.
The checkpoint team had reported that two of the 13 died on the way to a hospital.
Johnny Glorioso, dzMM radio reporter based in Quezon, said he saw a red bag beside the second SUV during his follow-up coverage of the alleged shootout.
“I don’t know what was inside the bag but one thing’s for sure, the probers did not mention it in the inventory lists,†he said.
Chief Superintendent Federico Castro, head of the fact-finding committee, said a red bag that was recovered at the scene is now under the custody of the police Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO).
He said the bag contained some personal belongings but its owner is still unknown.
Castro stressed all the results of their findings would be turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the lead agency in the probe as ordered by President Aquino.
Castro said they are focusing on the digital evidence of the crime scene.
He said the fact-finding committee is determining the call history of the 13 cellular phones and the contents of the laptops and gadgets recovered at the site that could help in the investigation.
“The digital examination of the communications is ongoing and we expect it to be over the soonest possible time,†Castro said.
He said the call records and texts in the cellular phones would significantly help in establishing the facts leading to the alleged shootout.
Another police official said the cellular phones of the police officers involved in the shootout should also be included in the digital examination, particularly pointing to Superintendent Hansel Marantan, deputy intelligence chief and concurrent head of the Regional Special Operations Group (ROSG) of the Police Regional Office 4-A. – Ed Amoroso, Non Alquitran, Michelle Zoleta, Sandy Araneta, Roel Pareño