14 cops cleared in Ozamis gang rubout

MANILA, Philippines - A panel of Laguna prosecutors has cleared 14 policemen tagged in the alleged rubout of Ozamis robbery group leaders Ricky Cadavero and Wilfredo Panogalinga.

The police officers were cleared after Police Officer 3 Gerardo Tugot, a witness in the case, recanted his second and third affidavits by issuing another statement in January.

Tugot claimed he did not voluntarily issue the two affidavits and he was assisted by Romulo Lorento, who is neither a member of the Philippine Bar nor of the Office of the Bar Confidante under the Supreme Court, the prosecutors said.

A copy of the ruling, issued last May 12, was sent to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which had investigated the incident. The ruling was made by assistant city prosecutors Francis Reyes, Milaflor Tan-Mancia, and Joyce Martinez and approved by city prosecutor George Dee.

Among those cleared were Chief Superintendent Benito Estipona, the former regional director of Calabarzon; and Superintendent Danilo Mendoza, chief of the region’s police special operation group.

Also included are:  Senior Inspectors Fernando Cardona; Senior Police Officers 1 Joseph Ortega, Jayson Semacas and Genaro de Gala; PO3s Sherwin Bulan, Ramil Gonzales and Marvin Mejia; PO2s Eduardo Cruz, Conrado Bautista Jr., Exiel Reyes and Kristofferson Reyes; and PO1 Ryan Rey Gado.

The prosecutors, meanwhile, upheld the murder charges against Senior Inspector Manuel Magat and Inpector Efren Oco for the murders of Cadavero (alias Kambal) and Panongalinga (alias Kulot) in San Pedro, Laguna in 2013.

The two were killed a day after Cadavero, who escaped from New Bilibid Prison, was re-captured. It was alleged that they were killed to prevent them from spilling what they know against the police officers.

The police officers, on the other hand, insisted that Cadavero and Panogalinga were killed after their gang members attempted to “rescue” them from authorities. The cops added that there was a shootout but none of them was hurt.