Shipping firm probed for man’s death

Western Police District investigators are looking into death of a man who was mauled to death allegedly by security personnel of a local shipping firm.

But according to detective Virgo Villareal, the mother of the victim, Roland Orian, had executed an affidavit of desistance absolving the 15th SFA Agency, the security group of William, Gothong and Aboitiz (WG&A) Shipping Lines, from any civil and criminal liability.

Villareal said the affidavit was made after the WG&A Lines paid the travel and funeral expenses of the victim to his family in Negros Occidental. "There is something fishy here. Why would the security agency compel the mother to sign the affidavit, when it continues to refuse to have their three personnel undergo an investigation," Villareal said.

The investigator also deplored that officers of the 15th SFA Agency refused to present the three security personnel, identified as Delon Maslang, Vicente Suarez and a certain Sobillo, for investigation.

"They even bragged that they could not be investigated anymore since the mother of the victim had already absolved them of any liability," Villareal said.

According to Villareal, Jose Fortin, the agency’s officer-in-charge for administration and investigation, even asked him when he visited his office for inquiry, "Bakit may nagrereklamo ba (Is there a complainant)?"– Nestor Etolle