8 Popoy Lagman slay suspects charged

The Quezon City Police District has filed murder charges against eight suspects in the killing of former communist leader Filemon Patricius “Ka Popoy” Lagman.

Superintendent Franklin Moises Mabanag, chief of the QCPD-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said the eight suspects are alleged members of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Bongcayao Brigade Breakaway Group and were charged before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office last Friday.

In an interview, Mabanag told reporters that the suspects were implicated in the case when a gun seized from one of them matched the one used in killing Lagman and the other shooting incidents for which the other suspects were earlier arrested.

Since Lagman was killed on Feb. 6, 2001 in front of the Bahay ng Alumni at the University of the Philippines’ Diliman campus, this was the first time that charges were filed against any suspect in the case, Mabanag said.

The suspects were identified as Brandy Nilo Gerona, alias Ka Andy and Andy Garcia, 28; Gilbys Gerona, alias James, 24; Lloyd Perez, 25; Jonathan Cartujano, alias Jojo, 24; Ely Macariola, alias Alex, 24; Rommel Bayen, alias Mike, 38; Jenny Canlas, alias Mhelo and Melody, 23; and Sienna Quiambao, alias Bona, 30.

Brandy and Gilbys Gerona, Perez, Cartujano, Canlas and Quiambao are currently detained in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.

Macariola and Bayen, meanwhile, are detained in a facility of the Southern Police District also in Taguig.

According to Mabanag, police officers from the District Intelligence Operating Unit of the Southern Police District and the Philippine National Police Special Action Force, armed with a search warrant, went into the house of Brandy Gerona in San Pedro, Laguna in the morning of Jan. 19.

Mabanag said the search resulted in the seizure of different types of firearms and ammunitions including three explosives in the possession of the suspect.

Apart from these pieces of evidence, the QCPD also presented sworn statements of six witnesses and the autopsy report on Lagman’s remains.

Lagman, then chairman of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, was with his son and a staff member en route to a meeting at the UP Bahay ng Alumni when he was attacked.

The suspects walked away from the scene, commandeered a passing Toyota Corolla (WGP-329) and fled.

Lagman was rushed to the nearby Philippine Heart Center but died during surgery.