No charges vs cops over death of detainee

The four Manila policemen who figured in the fatal shooting of a detainee who allegedly tried to escape while being escorted to the Caloocan police station last Sunday may yet get off the hook since shots were fired "in the performance of their duty."

This was explained by officer-on-case SPO2 Edison Bertoldo of the Western Police District’s Homicide Section, saying only the victim’s family can file charges against the four policemen if they have evidence to prove there was treachery involved.

"But so far, nobody has come forward to disprove the police version of the shooting incident. What we have right now is the police report showing the shooting was resorted to by concerned policemen to protect their lives and in a legitimate performance of their duty," Bertoldo told The STAR.

Police reports showed that SPO1 Epifanio Anoya, SPO1 John Lui, PO3 Rolly Caranto and PO3 Alex Cariaso escorted victim Rodolfo Garcia from the Abad Santos police station last Sunday for his transfer to the Caloocan City police station.

The arrest of the 57-year-old Garcia was covered by a warrant issued by Judge Silvestre Bello Jr. of the Caloocan Regional Trial Court Branch 128 for a case involving double murder with no bail recommended.

The report said that while the group was on board a barangay vehicle on Limay street in Tondo, Garcia requested Lui to loosen his handcuffs. But just as the officer was working on the handcuffs, Garcia allegedly grabbed his service firearm and fired twice hitting the flooring of the vehicle.

Sensing that the life of a fellow officer was in danger, Caranto fired once at Garcia, hitting him in the head, the report stated.

Anoya, who was driving the vehicle, headed for the Ospital ng Tondo, where the victim was pronounced dead on arrival.

In a report to WPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong, Abad Santos police station chief Superintendent Hospicio Guevarra claimed Garcia was wanted for several crimes and was also a notorious hired killer.

Guevarra further claimed that several informants pointed to Garcia as the one who shot to death SPO3 Danilo Reyes last Aug. 23 on Hermosa street in Tondo. Garcia was allegedly a hired killer of a suspected drug lord who ordered the assassination of Reyes.

But Guevarra was quick to add in his report that the information is still being verified by his men. – With Edu Punay