Death for Lozada killers!

Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. urged the government to punish with death the 10 policemen charged with killing two innocent civilians and wounding another in what is now known as a "mistaken identity" murder in Quezon City.

"It is a travesty of the whole national government; and if we have to put to death people proven guilty, we should do that (to them, too)," he said during a Blue Ribbon Committee hearing of the case.

The hearing was attended by relatives of the victims – Fernando Lozada, 48, and Maria Uson, 18, both killed, and Lozada’s daughter who was wounded. The three were on board Lozada’s car which passed a police checkpoint on May 17. The car was riddled with bullets by the 10 policemen who believed it belonged to suspected criminals.

Magsaysay said the policemen accused of the killings have jeopardized all efforts of the Philippine National Police to gain the trust and confidence of the public.

He noted that there has been an increasing number of civilians killed or wounded by the police and the military in alleged "misencounters." He also lamented the lack of laws calling for compensation of the families of civilians killed in such incidents.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said he would call for the setting aside of a P50-million fund from the PNP budget to pay for victims of misencounters.

"In the United States, when the police overstep its authority, the city to which the police belong pay compensation," he said.

The National Bureau of Investigation has already filed charges against the 10 policemen in the Lozada killings.

Charged were Superintendent Edgar Iglesia, Chief Inspector James Mejia, Senior Inspector Edwin Portento, Inspectors Preston Bangangan, Cesar Percival Pangda and Christine Tabdi, and PO1s John Bolatin, Arnold Solas, Cherilyn Tundayag and Frederick Taala.

Magsaysay has called for speedy judgment in the case, particularly on the administrative side.

"If this is delayed, the whole of society will be cynical of the PNP," he said.