Raps filed vs suspects in police official’s slay

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed murder charges yesterday against several men tagged in the killing of an Internal Affairs Service (IAS) official after of one the alleged gunmen was arrested in Caloocan City last Friday.

Superintendent Benjamin de los Santos, chief of the CIDG-Criminal Investigation and Detection Division (CIDD), said murder charges were filed against Leonardo Capili and several others identified through their aliases as Manuel Mendoza, George Guimbo, Dura and John Does and Jane Does.

Investigator Senior Police Officer 1 Joselito Coronel filed the charges before Pasig City Assistant Prosecutor Emmanuel Obungen, who recommended no bail for the temporary release of Capili.

In his report to CIDG director Chief Superintendent Jesus Verzosa, De los Santos noted that the filing of charges was made following arrest of Capili in his residence in Kapayapaan Village, Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City last Friday.

De los Santos said Capili was positively identified by witnesses as one of the six gunmen, who shot Chief Inspector Renato Marasigan inside his vehicle in Pasig City last March 29.

Investigators pointed out that Capili matched the police sketch prepared by a CIDG artist based on the description of several witnesses.

He noted that even Marasigan’s wife identified Capili as one of the gunmen in the ambush at the corner of E. Jacinto and A. Luna streets in Barangay Malinao.

The CIDD chief said one of the witnesses saw the sketch of the gunman on TV and in newspapers.

"The witness told us that he spotted the man fitting the description as he was walking along Malolos and Macaneneng streets in Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City."

De los Santos tapped Chief Inspector Prudencio Enojo to coordinate with witnesses, the family of Marasigan and investigators of the CIDG Eastern Field Office, which investigated the case for possible follow-up operations.

On April 6, Enojo and his men went to Caloocan and conducted a surveillance operation to verify the veracity of the information.

"It was during the surveillance operation that policemen took video footage of Capili. This was later shown to witnesses, who confirmed he was one of the gunmen in Marasigan’s assassination," De los Santos said.

He noted that Marasigan’s wife Venus also told investigators that she saw Capili with several other men near their house a week before the ambush.

On April 7, CIDD operatives accompanied a witness to Caloocan City, where Capili was positively identified as one of the gunmen.

"According to witnesses, Capili shot Marasigan and later brandished his gun at bystanders," said De los Santos, who noted that Capili initially admitted his participation in the crime and even made sketches of their positions during the ambush.

The suspect also implicated several others and claimed they were paid P500,000 to assassinate Marasigan.

However, Capili later denied he was involved, claiming he was at the birthday party of his child at the time of the ambush.

Marasigan was driving his bullet-proof Mitsubishi Pajero and was slowing down at the corner of Jacob and Jacinto streets when four men wearing maroon shirts walked up to the vehicle and opened fire.

Police said the vehicle had Level 1 or 2 bullet-proofing, which could be penetrated by high-powered firearms.

Police said one of the gunmen later walked to the driver’s side, opened the door and fired another round to his head to make sure the police official was dead.