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Court issues arrest warrants vs 13 cops in Atimonan bloodbath
By MARK MERUEÑAS, GMA News
(Updated 4:16 p.m.) The Quezon Regional Trial Court Branch 61 has ordered the arrest of suspects in the January 6 Atimonan bloodbath that killed 13 people, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Friday.
"Warrant of arrest already issued in the Atimonan case," De Lima said in a text message to reporters.
De Lima said no bail was recommended for the suspects.
The suspects in the crime had insisted the incident was a shootout between a joint team of policemen and soldiers, and a supposed gun-for-hire group led by Vic Siman.
In its findings however, the National Bureau of Investigation said the incident was not a shootout but a case of rubout.
Judge Maria Chona Pulgar-Navarro of RTC Branch 61 Gumaca, Quezon ordered the arrest of former Calabarzon police deputy intelligence head Superintendent Hansel Marantan and 12 other policemen, for charges of multiple murder and obstruction of justice.
Marantan was the ground commander of the government team that carried out the supposed operation against Siman's convoy, but investigators said it was a case of a rubout linked to a turf war between the victims' group and a "video karera" operator in Laguna.
Among the 13 killed in the bloodbath was environmentalist Tirso "Jun" Lontoc Jr.
Aside from Marantan also ordered arrested were:
Also ordered arrested was Army Lt. Rico Tagure, who is facing a separate charge of obstruction of justice, along with Carracedo.
Restrictive custody
In a resolution made public Thursday, the DOJ had also cleared former Calabarzon police director Chief Superintendent James Melad and 11 soldiers in the incident.
"After an assiduous evaluation of the evidence submitted by both parties, [the investigators] found that all the essential elements of the crime of murder are present," the DOJ said.
"Evidence is clear that respondents PNP and AFP personnel ... fired upon the victims who were on board two Mitsubishi Monteros, and that the gunshot wounds they sustained caused their deaths," it added.
The DOJ said the respondents "conspired and confederated with each other to eliminate the victims." — with Marc Jayson Cayabyab/LBG/RSJ, GMA News
"Warrant of arrest already issued in the Atimonan case," De Lima said in a text message to reporters.
De Lima said no bail was recommended for the suspects.
The suspects in the crime had insisted the incident was a shootout between a joint team of policemen and soldiers, and a supposed gun-for-hire group led by Vic Siman.
In its findings however, the National Bureau of Investigation said the incident was not a shootout but a case of rubout.
Judge Maria Chona Pulgar-Navarro of RTC Branch 61 Gumaca, Quezon ordered the arrest of former Calabarzon police deputy intelligence head Superintendent Hansel Marantan and 12 other policemen, for charges of multiple murder and obstruction of justice.
Marantan was the ground commander of the government team that carried out the supposed operation against Siman's convoy, but investigators said it was a case of a rubout linked to a turf war between the victims' group and a "video karera" operator in Laguna.
Among the 13 killed in the bloodbath was environmentalist Tirso "Jun" Lontoc Jr.
Aside from Marantan also ordered arrested were:
- Senior Insp. John Paolo Carracedo,
- Senior PO1 Arturo Sarmiento,
- Supt. Ramon Balauag,
- Senior Insp. Timoteo Orig,
- Chief Insp. Grant Gollod,
- Senior PO3 Joselito de Guzman,
- Senior PO1 Carlo Cataquiz,
- PO3 Eduardo Oronan,
- PO2 Nelson Indal,
- PO2 Al Bhazar Jailani,
- PO1 Wryan Sardea and
- PO1 Rodel Talento.
Also ordered arrested was Army Lt. Rico Tagure, who is facing a separate charge of obstruction of justice, along with Carracedo.
Restrictive custody
At Camp Crame, the Philippine National Police said it has put the 10 police officers, including Marantan, under restrictive custody while awaiting for the warrant of arrest against the suspects.
At a press briefing, PNP spokesperson Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor said the suspects are in transient barracks at the headquarters support service inside Camp Crame.
"We will call the Crime Investigation and Detection Group to secure a copy and they will be the one to implement [the] warrant of arrest," Mayor said. "If there is a warrant of arrest, then we will serve the warrant. We will abide with the order of the court."
Meanwhile, the PNP has formed tracker teams to locate the three officials also implicated in the bloodbath but have gone absent without leave since July this year.
- Supt Ramon Balauag - since July 8, 2013
- PO2 Nelson Indal - since August 16, 2013
- PO2 Al Bhazar Jailani - since August 8, 2013
"We call on them to go back to the fold of the law," Mayor said.
DOJ resolution
He said the nine officials, except Marantan who is still in the hospital due to wounds sustained in the rubout, are constantly reporting for accounting purposes in Camp Crame.
Mayor noted that they are not "detaining" the officers.
With a warrant, the PNP would now surrender the officials to the court of origin, Mayor said.
Asked whether Marantan may not be detained due to his wounds, Mayor said it is up to the court to decide.
DOJ resolution
In a resolution made public Thursday, the DOJ had also cleared former Calabarzon police director Chief Superintendent James Melad and 11 soldiers in the incident.
"After an assiduous evaluation of the evidence submitted by both parties, [the investigators] found that all the essential elements of the crime of murder are present," the DOJ said.
"Evidence is clear that respondents PNP and AFP personnel ... fired upon the victims who were on board two Mitsubishi Monteros, and that the gunshot wounds they sustained caused their deaths," it added.
The DOJ said the respondents "conspired and confederated with each other to eliminate the victims." — with Marc Jayson Cayabyab/LBG/RSJ, GMA News
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