18 charged with hero cop's murder

MANILA, Philippines - Eighteen persons, including five policemen, were charged with murder before the Department of Justice for allegedly killing Medal of Valor awardee Police Officer 2 Jamaron Sandag.

Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group –National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR), reported that “the main motive on the killing of PO2 Sandag is the existing riduh (family war) between the Sandag and the Payao family. The Payao family vowed to kill all male heirs of the Sandag clan.”

Sandag’s body – described to be in an advanced state of decomposition – was found near a garbage dump in Rodriguez, Rizal last March 16, 19 days after he was reportedly taken hostage in the Taguig Plaza Apartelle last Feb. 25.

Nerez said the plan to murder Sandag was hatched in Labuan, Zamboanga City, and a witness saw alleged mastermind Nur-Aisa Ama give the reward money for killing Sandag to another suspect, Burha Abdulla. He also said suspect Gamar Janihim’s wife, Anorah, was the one who rented a room at the apartelle.

“The evidence gathered are series of circumstances that constituted an unbroken chain of events that reasonably lead to the conclusion pointing to the suspects as probably the guilty persons,” said Nerez.

A witness said she saw and heard PO2 Asmad Badlis and PO1 Sukarno Adjod planning to stage the killing, while another witness said he saw all five policemen inside the Room 502 of the Taguig Apartelle, where Sandag was taken before the murder.

The policemen charged with his murder are Badlis, Adjod, PO2 Borjan Jawali, PO1 Said Wahid, and PO1 Roderick Magsano, all assigned at the Southern Police District.

The civilians charged were Ama; Abdullah; Gamar “Belong” Janihim and his wife, Anorah; Aljon “Junjun “ Pawai Sala; Haron “Pahambong” Cacao; Gaini “Gani “ Wadja; Asman “Abuel” Amilasan; Salim Janihim; Ramili Wahid; Jahim Payao; Hadji Mobin Payao and Majid Adbulhaman, alias Shariff Larudin.

The STAR first interviewed Sandag last Jan. 29, 2007 shortly after he received the Philippine National Police Medal of Valor award from President Arroyo during the PNP’s 16th anniversary at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Sandag earned the prestigious award after he fought off at least 100 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Abu Sayyaf bandits who attacked the municipal hall and the police station of Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte in May 2003.