CPD chief warns 5 ‘salvage’ cops

Central Police District (CPD) director Senior Supt. Napoleon Castro said yesterday he was losing patience with five cops allegedly involved in the "salvaging" or summary execution of an Army soldier last Thursday.

"If they do not turn themselves in, and since the charge sheet has been prepared, we will go on with the filing of murder charges against them even in absentia," Castro said in a telephone interview.

The CPD chief issued the ultimatum to Police Officers 1 Henry Garcia, Noel Pavia, Joesph Prado and two others named Gadal and Velasco. They were ordered to show up at Castro’s office at 5:00 p.m. yesterday to explain their side.

Earlier, the CPD chief issued an order for the suspects to be declared AWOL (absent without leave) status for failing to report for duty since Oct. 9.

Castro also directed Station 11 commander Superintendent Armando Amparo, the five policemen’s superior, to produce the AWOL cops or be relieved from his post.

He noted that Amparo has yet to come out with a report on the death of Army man Chris Gonzales.

As of press time, the five policemen have yet to contact Castro’s office.

"Their failure to surface is tantamount to an admission of guilt," the CPD chief said, adding that Amparo would be administratively relieved starting Monday.

The murder charges against the five will be filed tomorrow with the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

Apart from the criminal charges, Castro said, the five policemen will be slapped with administrative charges and may be dropped from the rolls of the police organization.

It can be recalled that the charred body of Gonzales, 49, a member of the rescue team of the Philippine Army, was found inside a drum near the corner of Mindanao Avenue Extension and Regalado Avenue in Quezon City last Thursday morning.

Relatives of the victim positively identified the five cops as those responsible for the death of Gonzales. They were the same cops that earlier arrested the victim at his house for illegal drugs, they said,

That was the last time they saw him, they said.