Raps filed vs slain hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza

Police have filed a complaint of serious illegal detention against the late Rolando Mendoza for taking hostage a busload of Hong Kong tourists last August 23, saying such step will strengthen the case against the hostage-taker’s brother, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza. The complaint, filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday, named Rolando as a principal accused, and Gregorio as an accomplice. Rolando, a dismissed policeman, was killed in a police assault at the conclusion of the 11-hour standoff. The assault was launched after he went on a shooting rampage and killed eight hostages. Lawyer Dennis Wagas, counsel for the Manila Police District’s (MPD) Legal Office, said that in order to establish Gregorio's role as an accomplice, Rolando must be first established as a principal suspect. "We need to establish first the liability of the principal, in order for us to establish the liability of the accomplice," said Wagas. The Revised Penal Code provides that death extinguishes criminal liability. The complaint was the second filed against Gregorio, who has repeatedly denied involvement in the hostage-taking incident. Gregorio’s counsel, Persida Rueda-Acosta of the Public Attorney’s Office, described the filing of the second complaint as “harassment" and a violation of Gregorio’s rights. Acosta said her client’s rights were violated when the MPD filed a serious illegal detention case against him last October, when he was already facing an almost similar charge of conspiracy to commit serious illegal detention. “A person should not be charged with the same crime or series of crimes with the same facts, events, and evidence. They (MPD) are duplicating this case. I’m sorry to say, but they are harassing my client," she said. Gregorio agreed. “Kapag pinile-an ka ng dalawang kaso na pareho naman ang ibig sabihin, yun ay isang harassment (When two almost similar complaints are lodged against you, that is already harassment)," he said. Wagas said there was a necessity to file the second complaint because the first one was filed right after the August 23 hostage-taking incident. He said the second one is more comprehensive because it contains the necessary evidence and documents. “It’s not entirely a different complaint. It's almost the same as the first one. We're only supplementing the entire evidence to prove there was a case of serious illegal detention," he said. - KBK, GMANews.TV