PNP officials snub CHR hearing on bloody shootout in Parañaque

MANILA, Philippines – All 33 invited police officials failed to show up at the resumption of the Commission on Human Rights hearing Tuesday on the bloody encounter between lawmen and suspected criminals in Parañaque City in December 2008. A GMA “Flash Report" said that the absence of the Philippine National Police officials prompted CHR commissioner Leila de Lima to issue a subpoena asking the men to explain why they shouldn't be cited for contempt. Among those invited to the hearing were PNP Region 4-A director Chief Superintendent Perfecto Palad and Superintendent James Cristobal, deputy chief of the Highway Patrol Group’s (HPG) Task Force Limbas. The CHR’s probe on the incident has been conducted on top of PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) inquiry, which earlier found that nine policemen involved in the shootout made “some lapses in police procedures because they were not able to prevent innocent civilians from death and injuries." The IAS then recommended the slapping of charges for neglect of duty and grave misconduct against eight officials and human rights violations against a police officer. The HPG earlier asked the CHR to terminate its probe because the IAS had already released its findings. However, the CHR junked the Highway Patrol Group’s motion, saying its inquiry is different from that of the IAS. On December 5, a clash erupted between policemen and the heavily-armed men suspected to be members of the notorious Waray-Waray and Ozamiz robbery groups in the United Parañaque Subdivision 4 in Parañaque. The gun battle left sixteen dead, including ten suspected members of the combined robbery gangs, a rookie policeman and five civilians. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV