ICPO files raps vs suspects in radio station intrusion

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — String of criminal charges yesterday was filed against the suspects in the alleged incursion into a radio station in Iloilo City on November 19.

Senior Superintendent Khasmir Disomangcop, Iloilo City Police Office director, said charges for grave threats, robbery with the use of force upon things, and qualified trespassing to dwelling were slapped against businessman Melvin Odicta, Sr., and alias Vin-Vin Odicta, both residents of Barangay Tanza-Esperanza, Iloilo City; Jesus “Jing-Jing” Espinosa, Jr. of Barangay Monica Blumentritt in the City Proper; and several other John Does.

Disomangcop said the three named suspects were identified through a closed circuit television footage as the persons who tried to barge inside the Carlos Uy Building, where MBC Aksyon Radyo is one of the tenants.

The case was filed around 10 a.m. at the Iloilo City Prosecution Office through Prosecutor Gracious Espinosa, and was docketed under IS VI-10-INV-15K-009-09.

Chief Inspector Kitt Flora, Mandurriao police chief, said the police acted as the complainants, while eight others stood as witnesses:

They are Flora himself, Senior Inspector Donnel Regis and Police Officer 2 Ramy del Rosario; Aksyon Radyo personnel–Joecel Bañas, Salvador “Jun” Capulot, and Jorney Volcan; security guards Rey Gomez of Aksyon Radyo, and Jason Awid of Carlos Uy Building.

The police submitted 17 evidences, among them affidavits of the witnesses and copies of CCTV footage.

When asked if with the police filing the case and not the supposed aggrieved party could weaken the case, Flora said the intrusion at Aksyon Radyo is considered a public crime. “Anyone can file a case. Let’s just leave it to the court,” he said.

Flora said that the management of Aksyon Radyo might have its reason why it left it to the police to file the charges.

With the filing of criminal charges, Disomangcop said the case is now considered as crime cleared by the police. “This is because the case was already filed even though the suspects are still at large,” he said.

Disomangcop defended the delay in the filing because the affidavits were still reviewed by the radio station personnel’s legal counsel.

“On our part, as early as November 20, we have already started the investigation and the taking of affidavits. But it was only today (Thursday) that we have completed all the documents,” he said, adding that it was only yesterday that the police got the names of the suspects, after thorough verifications.

“We know who they are but we should confirm the facts first,” he added.

 The incident happened shortly after midnight of November 19, when around 20 men, believed to be mostly armed, tried to barge inside the Carlos Uy Building. They came with around 10 vehicles, mostly vans, pickup trucks, utility vehicles, and a luxury sedan.

In a CCTV footage, a man, wearing a T-shirt and short pants, got off the driver’s seat of the sedan and hurriedly walked towards the building, and then peered through the makeshift steel enclosure. It appeared that the man was holding on to something similar to a pistol. Several other men, carrying small bags, were later seen scurrying after the man from the sedan.

In another CCTV footage, the man  from the sedan went to the main gate of the building’s ground floor while another heavily-built person seemed to be pacifying him against entering the gateway. The former however insisted to come near the padlocked gate.

When he failed to shove open the gate, the sedan driver grabbed a CCTV camera and apparently took it with him when they left the scene, the footage showed. (FREEMAN)