Ozamiz rubout: Cop turns witness

MANILA, Philippines - The two-vehicle convoy pulled up by the roadside in San Pedro, Laguna. Ozamiz gang leader Ricky Cadavero and his henchman Wilfredo Panogalinga were in the back seat of a van.

Moments later, they were dead, allegedly at the hands of their escorts.

One of the police officers said he was ordered by his superior to fire at the windshield of the van, to make it appear that the two gangmen were killed in a shootout triggered by an ambush.

The escorts were also ordered to change the barrels of their guns to make it difficult to determine who shot the fatalities.

The policeman has issued a sworn statement detailing what transpired last July 15 and belying the police escorts’ initial claim that the gangmen died in a shootout.

Two senior police officers are facing murder charges for the gangmen’s deaths.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II said the police officer was apparently bothered by his conscience and decided to come out to tell the truth.

“It’s clear that the killing of Cadavero and Panogalinga was planned by some police officers who served as their escorts last July 15,” Roxas told a press briefing yesterday at Camp Crame.

He said the escorts tried to make it appear that two motorcycle-riding gunmen attacked the police convoy transported Cadavero and Panogalinga.

Roxas said Senior Inspector Manuel Magat and Inspector Efren Oco, both of the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) Regional Special Operations Group, were held accountable for the alleged rubout, while 12 other members of the Calabarzon-RSOG were charged with perjury for apparently conniving with other police officers in covering up the executions.

The 12 are Senior Police Officers 1 Jayson Semacas, Joseph Ortega and Genero de Gala; Police Officers 3 Sherwin Bulan, Ramil Gonzales, Marvin Mejia and Eduardo Cruz; Police Officers 2 Conrado Bautista Jr., Exiel Reyes and Kristofferson Reyes; and Police Officer 1 Ryan Rey Gado, all of the Regional Public Safety Battalion.

Roxas said the same group of policemen and RSOG team leader Superintendent Danilo Mendoza were also charged with obstruction in the prosecution of a criminal offender.

While a police officer cannot be admitted under the Witness Protection Program (WPP), Roxas said the witness would remain under protective custody while his case is being processed.

Calabarzon police director Chief Superintendent Benito Estipona remains under investigation. He has been relieved and recalled to PNP headquarters at Camp Crame.

Mixed feelings

Roxas admitted having mixed feelings on the case.

“I’m dismayed with the murder committed by some police officers but at the same time happy with the resolve of the PNP leadership to remove scalawags from the police force,” he said.

He assured Cadavero’s sister Rosalinda that she would be given protection should she decide to cooperate with the police in the investigation.

RSOG grabs credit from Cavite police

Roxas said Cadavero and Panogalinga were arrested by elements of the Dasmariñas, Cavite police led by Superintendent Joseph Peñaflor, and not by the RSOG.

He said police have yet to determine how the gangmen ended up in the custody of Mendoza’s group.

Estipona did not show up at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the preliminary investigation of the case.

Only three police officers and Estipona’s lawyers – Howard Calleja and Elmer Guerzon – appeared at the NBI-Death Investigation Division (DID) to help shed light on the issue. The three police officers were Mendoza, Magat and Oco.

Calleja said his presence at the hearing indicated that Estipona would cooperate with the NBI probe.

He said they would submit Estipona’s affidavit next week and would make him available for clarification.

NBI-DID chief Ferdinand Lavin assured the police officials that the NBI would be professional in the conduct of the investigation.

Senators Gregorio Honasan and Grace Poe expressed hope the NBI would reveal the truth.

Poe said a Senate inquiry could be pursued if there would be lapses in the probe. – With Christina Mendez, Evelyn Macairan