Policemen in shoot-out case grounded

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) Thursday grounded policemen involved in a bloody shoot-out last week, and at the same time cleared a slain civilian suspect. Director Jaime L Tagaca, chief of the Internal Administrative Services, told a press conference in the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City that 49 policemen in the Parañaque operation against two robbery groups have been grounded pending an ongoing investigation. "We have already directed the director of Special Action Force, Highway Patrol Group and Southern Police District to place all personnel who are involved in the operations on restricted status," Mr. Tagaca said. Involved police officers may face criminal and administrative charges once proven guilty of reckless imprudence, Mr. Tagaca said. He said they have cleared Ronaldo R. Eusebio of involvement. Eusebio was among the 16 people killed during the encounter between the police and Waray-Waray Gang and Ozamis robbery groups in United Parañaque Subdivision 4 on Dec. 5. The other civilians killed during the incident include a seven-year-old girl and her father, a security guard and two other civilians sleeping in a parked truck near the encounter scene. "The groups neutralized by our operatives were two of the most dreaded syndicates which the PNP has neutralized so far. We cannot yet ascertain the number of robbery incidents, which they have perpetrated. Let us not make premature conclusions that our police force is not professional," Mr. Tagaca said. - BusinessWorld