5 cops plead not guilty in Pasig rubout

MANILA, Philippines - Five policemen accused in the 2005 Pasig City “rubout” case pleaded not guilty yesterday to the three counts of homicide filed against them.

Wearing police uniforms, Senior Inspectors Hansel Marantan and Samson Belmonte; Police Officers 3 Rizalito Ramos Jr. and Lloyd Soria; and PO2 Dexter Bernadas answered “not guilty” when the clerk of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 265 read the charges against them.

Their arraignment pushed through after Judge Danilo Buemio of the RTC Branch 265 denied the second motion for reconsideration by the prosecution to stop the proceedings as the Supreme Court has yet to rule on their request for a temporary restraining order.

Jose Manuel Diokno, who represents the family of victim Anton Cu-Unjieng, wanted the High Court to reinstate the murder charges against the accused, including six others who were absolved of the crime.

The five police officers were charged for their alleged role in the shootout along Garnet street on Nov. 7, 2005 that claimed the lives of Cu-Unjieng, Francis Xavier Manzano and Brian Anthony Dulay.

The prosecution claimed the incident was not a shootout but a “rubout” as the victims were gunned down while they were in a maroon Nissan Exalta, based on footage taken by a television crew who witnessed the incident.

The five policemen said the incident is a legitimate encounter with alleged members of the Valle Verde Gang, a group of car thieves who are scions of prominent families living in theValle Verde Subdivision in Pasig City.

The pre-trial of the case is scheduled on June 28.