Ebdane to Maganto: Stay out of Kintanar case

Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. directed Chief Superintendent Romeo Maganto yesterday to focus on the arrest of fugitive Superintendent Rafael Cardeño a few days after the publicity on Maganto’s upcoming movie on his life story.

Ebdane also ordered Maganto to stay out of the case of slain New People’s Army (NPA) chieftain Romulo Kintanar as the PNP leadership designated Central Police District director Senior Superintendent Napoleon Castro to head the investigation.

CPD veteran investigator Superintendent Rodolfo Jaraza told The Star last week that the Quezon City police have not yet filed any case against Kintanar’s killers. "We are following up several angles and investigators are still trying to gather enough evidence that will pin down the perpetrators in court," he said.

In issuing the new orders, Ebdane said the move will ensure the fulltime attention of police units dedicated to a particular case or investigation, especially those involved in heinous and sensational crime incidents. "This will eliminate possible problems of jurisdictional overlap, duplication of function, and eventual finger-pointing should there be a failure later on," Ebdane said in a statement.

But sources revealed Maganto was ordered to stay out of the Kintanar case after he reportedly went on "witch hunting" by going after every individual linked to the case. Sources noted that Maganto even "filed" charges against some individuals without properly coordinating with the CPD and higher headquarters.

Ebdane did not say if Maganto may have earned the ire of other PNP officials because of an upcoming movie on his life story, prompting the exclusion of the police officer in the probe of Kintanar’s case.

Maganto’s life story is set to be shown in local theaters with local actor Jestoni Alarcon in the lead role.

Short of saying that the PNP have no strong evidence against Kintanar’s killers, Ebdane ordered the National Capital Region Police Office and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to provide active support to the CPD to build up the case against Kintanar’s assassins. The PNP chief also directed Chief Superintendent Robert Delfin to lead the campaign and supervised police units in the fight against the Communist Party of the Philippines armed wing, the New People’s Army. The CPP-NPA had earlier claimed responsibility over the killing of Kintanar.

Delfin said his men are monitoring certain personalities from the leftist group in connection with Kintanar’s murder. He refused to elaborate.

Ebdane and Delfin’s statements came almost a week after a former NPA cadre, Melchor Bartolome, surfaced at the PNP-Intelligence Group and denied his role in Kintanar’s death.