Parañaque shootout suspects' photos released

The Manila Police District (MPD) has released to the public the photos of 13 suspected members of the Waray Waray and Ozamis robbery gangs who reportedly figured in a shootout in Parañaque City with pursuing policemen but managed to escape, an official said yesterday.

MPD director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales said the two groups were mainly responsible for at least 17 big-time heists in Metro Manila.

Rosales said remaining members of the Waray-Waray gang, allegedly under the leadership of Alvin Flores, alias “Lexter” and “Bunso,” have banded with the Ozamis group led by Inday Rocha, who also serves as its financier.

Other alleged members of the two groups are the Flores siblings; Daniel alias Tulig and Merlina; Walter Mutia alias Waway; Martin Lico Jr. alias Bogart; a certain “Tata Revo;” Rocha’s niece, Beverly Rocha; Arnel Rojas; Ronel Campos, a former member of the Special Action Force; alias Ompong a former Army man; Maning Waray and JR Waray.

The Philippine National Police is offering a P1.3-million reward for information that could lead to the capture of 13 members of the groups who survived a shootout with authorities in Parañaque two Fridays ago.

The MPD has started posting the photos of the wanted suspects in public places and police mobile cars “so their faces would remain on the public’s mind.”

Chief Inspector Audie Madrideo, who heads the MPD’s District Police Intelligence and Operations Unit (DPIOU) told The STAR his men have been monitoring the groups since Nov. 20.

“We have missed the groups several times at their supposed safehouse in Bacoor, Cavite since they always move from one place to another,” he said.

However, several hours after the Parañaque shootout, Madrideo received a text message from an informant about a group of armed men, including an injured one, that shortly arrived at their safehouse in Bacoor.

The MPD, together with its Special Weapons and Tactics unit, the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) and the Bacoor operatives raided the safehouse and arrested seven suspects. An eighth suspect, a 15-year-old boy, was turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Father, daughter re-autopsied

Commissioner Leila de Lima of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said the re-autopsy on the bodies of Alfonso de Vera and his daughter, Alyanna, is important to determine the number of gunshots the two Parañaque shootout victims sustained and whose guns the bullets came from.

De Lima told The STAR yesterday during a forum on human rights that the re-autopsy was to be done “at the latest (yesterday night)” by a CHR doctor and Dr. Racquel Fortun, an expert forensic pathologist.

Alfonso, 51, and Alyanna, 7, were to be buried today in Bayambang town in Pangasinan province. The De Veras were from Barangay Osmeña in nearby Basista town, Pangasinan.

De Lima said the re-autopsy is part of their independent investigation into the Dec. 5 Parañaque shootout where De Vera and his daughter were among the 16 people killed.

“W are very disturbed about the fact why operations like that have to lead to the killings of innocent civilians,” she said.

De Lima said De Vera and his daughter were the only ones in the Crosswind, which was reported to have 80 bullet holes. She noted that there was neither provocation nor aggression from the vehicle and De Vera was unarmed.

De Lima said part of Fortun’s work is to make a thorough inspection and analysis of the vehicle’s shots to understand what really happened.

“Definitely there is something wrong if you have innocent civilians as victims when it is supposed to be a legitimate police operation,” she said.

She said there are rules of engagement or the standard police procedures that were precisely designed to prevent or at least minimize civilian casualties.

Footing the bill

The four children of Roland Eusebio, one of five civilians killed in the shootout, will receive scholarship grants from the Philippine National Police (PNP).

NCRPO chief Director Leopoldo Bataoil made the announcement as he joined mourners during yesterday’s eulogy mass for Eusebio.

Bataoil said he will take care of the schooling of Angela, 13; Quezon Police City District director Senior Superintendent Magtanggol Gatdula for Jerome, 11; Southern Police District director Jaime Calungsod for Angelo, 6; and MPD director Chief Supt. Roberto Rosales for Ronaldo, 1.

The police apologized to his family for linking him to the robbery gangs. Eusebio, 39, was an assistant supervisor for Skyway Corp., where he worked for 15 years.

Bataoil added that PNP chief Director General Jesus Versoza and his wife will also help Police Officer 1 Nixon Vinasoy’s three-year-old son, Nick Jennyson, with his schooling. Vinasoy, of the PNP-Special Action Force, was also killed in the Parañaque shootout.  – With Eva Visperas, Rhodina Villanueva, Jaime Laude