Valenzuela village chief not yet off the hook for Caloocan slays

Despite a lower court’s dismissal of multiple murder charges filed against a barangay captain in Valenzuela City and his alleged cohorts for the slay of six factory workers in Caloocan City, the suspects are not yet off the hook.

"Our search for justice will continue. Tuloy ang laban (The fight goes on)," Caloocan City police chief Senior Superintendent Geronimo Reside told The STAR.

Reside said the court could have committed an error in ordering the release of Graciano Victoriano, chairman of Barangay Bignay in Valenzuela City and his tanod (watchman) Ricky Flor, prime suspects in the murder of six iron re-melting company workers.

The bodies of Remy Ponteros, Juril Mequizo, Ramon Villanueva, Arthur Cardona, Jefferson Agipanan, and Jun Azuero, were found at the main road of Phase 3, Nova Romania Subdivision in Deparo, Caloocan City in the early morning of Oct. 1.

Police later arrested Victoriano and at least five of his barangay watchmen after witnesses tagged them. Police recovered from the suspects several evidences, which include three vehicles, allegedly used in the summary execution of the victims.

Victoriano was charged as the principal suspect while four of his tanods were released. At least six more suspects remain at large.

On Thursday, Judge Eleanor Kwong of Caloocan City Regional Trial Court Branch 128 ordered the police to release the suspects after city prosecutor Nestor Dabalos filed a motion to withdraw information citing the filing of affidavit of desistance by the relatives of the victims.

The Caloocan City police, however, vowed to pursue the case even if the relatives of the victims opted for an out-of-court settlement.

"It’s now the people of the Philippines, wherein the police are the complainants, that represent the case and not the families of the victims," Reside said.

"We have the moral right and obligation to do so as representatives of the people," added Superintendent Napoleon Cuaton, deputy city police chief and concurrent Station Investigation and Detection Management Bureau chief.

Reside said that apart from filing a motion for reconsideration, Northern Police District (NPD) officer-in-charge Senior Superintendent Rufino Druja, yesterday went to the Department of Justice to personally refer the case.

"As long as we have witnesses, we will pursue the case," Reside said.

Caloocan police are securing at least four key witnesses in three celebrated cases in the city, including slays of RPN-9 cameraman Ralph Ruñez and Saksi reporter Alberto Orsolino.