Police chief recommends dismissal of ‘salvage’ cops

The Mandaluyong City police recommended yesterday the dismissal from the service of three officers allegedly behind the summary execution of a suspected snatcher, whose body was discovered in Taytay, Rizal last July 23.

Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City police chief, said he arrived at the decision after suspects Inspector Amor Cerillo, PO1 Francisco Castillo and PO1 Jocelyn Samson failed to appear for the pre-charge investigation despite repeated summons.

"They failed to present their side during the pre-charge hearing so I have no recourse but to recommend their dismissal from the police service," Velasquez told The STAR.

Cerillo, Castillo and Samson were tagged as the suspects in the killing of 19-year-old Jonathan Diasanta, whom they arrested last July 22.

Diasanta was last seen alive the following day in the company of the three officers. He was seen inside a patrol car leaving police headquarters.

Velasquez said a witness — an errand girl of the police criminal investigation unit — testified that Diasanta was not released by Castillo and his cohorts contrary to what they logged in the police blotter.

Cerillo, accompanied by his two lawyers, denied his role in Diasanta’s slay in an earlier TV interview.

Velasquez said Castillo could not be found following the discovery of the victim’s body. Samson, on the other hand, sent text messages to Velasquez conveying her wish to surrender.

Velasquez said they will push for the preliminary investigation on kidnapping with murder charges they filed against the suspects before the city prosecutor’s office. "We expect the preliminary investigation on the third week of the month so a warrant of arrest can be issued against them," Velasquez said.