Multiple murder raps filed vs 29 cops over Parañaque shootout

Twenty-nine policemen, three of them senior officials, have been slapped with multiple murder charges before the Department of Justice in connection with the December 2008 Parañaque shootout. The shootout, supposedly between lawmen and suspected robbers, resulted to the death of 16 people, five of them civilians including a seven-year-old girl. The complaint was filed by Lilian de Vera, whose daughter Lia and husband Alfonso were among the fatalities in the exchange of fire last December 5, 2008. Ranking police officials who were named respondents in the complaint were: *Deputy Director General Leopoldo Bataoil, head of the Philippine National Police’s Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Northern Luzon; *Chief Superintendent Leocadio Santiago Jr., head of the PNP-Special Action Force (SAF); and *Chief Superintendent Perfecto Palad, head of the PNP Highway Patrol Group. De Vera said the three officials, being the highest ranking police officers involved in the operation, should be held liable for the “clear" criminal acts of their subordinates. The policemen were accused of violating the PNP’s rules of engagement. In her complaint, De Vera said that based on the statements of witnesses, her husband and daughter were on board their Isuzu Crosswind when several police officers wearing Regional Special Action Force (RSAF) vests fired at them inside the United Parañaque Subdivision IV in Sucat district. She said Alfonso then went out of the vehicle, moved to the front passenger side where Lia was sitting, and carried her out to safety as she was bleeding at that time. They were however pursued and shot by the police. She said the policemen may have mistaken their van (XEW-327) for one of the getaway vehicles used by the suspects, who had engaged the law enforcers in a running gun battle. “It is plain that above-named respondents violated the law when they murdered my husband and daughter in the most inhuman, savage, and pitiless way," she said. Also named as respondents in the case were Superintendent Jonathan Calixto; Chief Inspector Hermogenes Cabe; Senior Inspector Abraham Abayari; Inspectors Erikson Roranes and Ludivico Cordova; PO1 James Yodong, Allan Apil, Efren Angcuan, Lloyd Bulayungan, Nemesio Gano and Sherwin Maybanting; PO3 Hagar Torres, Jericho Otadoy, Guilbert Lopez, Felix Base, Eugene Papat-ew, and Policarpio Jose Jr., all members of PNP-SAF. Other respondents were Superintendent Eleuterio Gutierrez, Jr.; Chief Inspectors Lawrence Cajipe and Joel Mendoza; Inspector Gerardo Balatucan; PO3 Jolito Mamanao, Jr. and Fernando Rey Gapuz; PO2 Eduardo Blanco and PO2 Edwin Santos; and PO1 Josil Rey Lucena. - GMANews.TV