Cops in Cavite shootout face raps before DOJ

MANILA, Philippines - Criminal charges were filed yesterday before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against 18 Cavite police officers who figured in a shootout on election day that killed two aides of losing congressional bet Plaridel “Del” Abaya of the second district of the province.

In their complaint, Abaya and families of retired police Senior Superintendent Arnulfo Obillos and Navy Petty Officer 2 Juanito Paraiso sought the indictment of 18 policemen, along with still unidentified persons, for double murder and frustrated murder.

They also accused the police officers of incriminatory machinations, arbitrary detention, robbery, slight physical injuries and maltreatment of prisoners.

Obillos was Abaya’s senior staffer, while Paraiso served as one of his bodyguards.

Abaya sought re-election in the second congressional seat of Cavite, but lost to Lani Mercado, wife of re-elected Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.

Named respondents in the complaint were Senior Superintendent Primitivo Tabujara Jr., Superintendent Ramil Ramones Montilla, Chief Inspector Christopher Falculan Olazo, SPO1 Ricardo Trinidad Poblete, SP01 Janelito Constante Dinglasan, PO2 Wilfredo Angeles Casalme, SPO4 Jimmy Combes Narag, SPO2 Ariel Yaya Panganiban, PO3 Domingo Asia Garcia, PO3 Salvador Lopez Cesma, PO2 Bobby Malabanan Zamora, PO2 Renato Yaya Bayot, PO1 Rafael Taruc Rodriguez, and PO2 Alvin David Sinko. 

Also charged were SPO1 Rodolfo Arboleda, of the Bacoor police, and PO3 Ronan Musni, PO2 Bienvenido Rosas and PO2 Richard Fermil, all Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) members.

All of the respondents, except Tabujara, were earlier charged administratively by the Internal Affairs Service of the Cavite police for alleged grave misconduct and gross irregularities in the performance of duty.

The complainants said they decided to include Tabujara as respondent because of his alleged participation in the attempt to cover up the truth about the shootout by supposedly tampering with the evidence at the crime scene by incriminating and illegally detaining innocent people.

Abaya and his co-complainants submitted, among others, the medico-legal report issued by the National Bureau of Investigation and the evidence recovered by scene of the crime operatives.

They said Obillos and Paraiso both tested negative for gunpowder nitrates, which means they did not fire their guns, contrary to the claim of the police.

Based on the NBI medico-legal report, Obillos was shot at close range while Paraiso suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the head and different parts of the body.

“This is now beyond politics. Our main intention is to give justice to Col. Obillos and Paraiso,” lawyer Rex Robles, Abaya’s legal counsel, told reporters after filing the complaint at the office of acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra.

Police earlier pointed to Abaya’s group as the one responsible for the shootout.

Based on the initial investigation of the Cavite police, Abaya’s men allegedly assaulted the Bacoor municipal police station along Aguinaldo Highway in Barangay Talaba, Bacoor, Cavite on May 10, prompting policemen to retaliate.

Police subsequently filed charges of direct assault on a person of authority, violation of the Omnibus Election Code, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition and frustrated homicide before the Cavite provincial prosecutor’s office against Abaya, Robles, PO2 Eduardo Fernandez, PO2 Rolito Antason, Lauro Geronimo Jr., Obillos’ son Neil and other unidentified persons.