3 cops nabbed for slay try on colleague

MANILA, Philippines - Three Manila policemen were arrested for allegedly planning to liquidate a police official in Tondo yesterday morning.

Superintendent Jose Asayo nabbed Police Officers 3 Enrique Miranda, Modesto Bornel and Melchor Cariño, who were all armed but in civilian clothes, while they were allegedly casing his house along Kagitingan street in Tondo shortly before noon, together with a woman identified as Anabelle Salik.

In an exclusive interview with The STAR, Asayo said friends in the police service warned him of an alleged plot to assassinate him hatched by retired police inspector Enrico Miranda, father of Enrique.

Police said the Asayos and the Mirandas are locked in a bitter family feud, aggravated by the killing of Jose’s brother, barangay chairman Lamberto, which the Asayos blamed on the Mirandas. The case remains unsolved.

The three policemen, detailed at the anti-illegal drug unit of the Raxabago police station, denied Asayo’s allegations and claimed they were in the area for a surveillance mission together with Salik, who they said was an informant. They said they were in civilian clothes in order not to “burn” or compromise the operation.

Inspector Jose Cabaquando, chief of Raxabago’s anti-illegal drug unit, said the three policemen did not prepare a pre-operations plan since they were still “validating” the information on an alleged drug pusher.

According to Asayo, he was informed by concerned neighbors of the presence of three unidentified armed men near his house, while the woman was reportedly asking for the location of his house. Salik vehemently denied Asayo’s claim.

Wearing a police vest, Asayo confronted and disarmed the three policemen. The three policemen said they were handcuffed and beaten by Asayo on the way to the MPD headquarters.

The Miranda family patriarch rushed to the headquarters and confronted Asayo and his group for the reported beating of his son. It was at this juncture when a brawl erupted between the two police officials at the MPD compound. The three policemen were initially charged for violation of the election-related gun ban, even as the alleged threat on Asayo’s life is still under investigation.