PNP dares slain robbers’ relatives: Prove rubout

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) has challenged the relatives of the eight robbery suspects slain in Silang, Cavite on Tuesday to produce evidence that would support their accusation that the incident was a rubout.

“At face value of the report, everything seems to be in order (that it was a legitimate operation),” Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP-Public Information Office director, said on Wednesday, referring to the firefight between policemen and the suspected robbery gang members in Barangay Litlit, Silang town.

Sindac said the PNP welcomes any investigation into the killing of robbery suspects Jomar Perena, Romulo Borita Sr., Glenno Jandoc, Fernan Pascua, Joseph Viscaya, Arnold Babaan, and Jon Jon Flores. The eighth slain suspect remains unidentified.

The slain suspects’ relatives, according to Sindac, “should present evidence in the proper forum. We will welcome any investigation to be undertaken so we can also present out side.”

This developed as the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has fielded three special investigators to conduct a probe on the Silang incident.

The CHR team will “determine if there were human rights violated by the police,” lawyer Gilbert Boiser, CHR-National Capitol Region (NCR) director, told The STAR.

Boiser said his men will coordinate with the Silang police to request for a copy of the police report, including the results of the ballistics and crime laboratory tests and the autopsy, and to inspect the scene of the supposed encounter.

He said five relatives of the slain suspects went to the CHR-NCR office to file a formal complaint against the police.

For his part, Chief Superintendent Jesus Gatchalian, Calabarzon police director, said he has instructed Senior Superintendent Joselito Esquivel, Cavite police director, to submit a copy of their report on the shootout.           

“I ordered the Cavite police command to look if there were lapses on the part of the Silang police,” Gatchalian said, adding though that the police operation was legitimate. – With Ed Amoroso