Probers see ambush, not shootout, in Atimonan carnage — report

A police probe on last week's encounter in Quezon province showed that 13 people, including lawmen and an environmentalist, were killed in an ambush and not in a shootout, a report by the Philippine Star said Monday. 

 

The newspaper quoted an unnamed source privy to the investigation as saying that the facts gathered by the Philippine National Police (PNP) on the bloody incident “indicate the possibility that an ambush occurred instead of a shootout.”

 

Asked in a television interview Monday whether the PNP fact-finding committee indeed concluded that the incident was an ambush and not a legitimate shootout, PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima told News to Go anchor Howie Severino: "Yung ating report na natanggap ay kasalukuyan nating nire-review. 'Yung ating action will be dependent sa kung ano 'yung talagang nakasaad sa report." Purisima did not elaborate.  “Lahat ng items sa Atimonan incident, NBI lang ang pwedeng magsalita at amin ay report na ginawa ng fact-finding committee will be given to the NBI,” Purisima added.

 

In the same interview, the PNP chief said administrative charges will be filed against policemen who violated protocol during the incident. Purisima earlier admitted lapses in the setting up of the checkpoint, which the 13 alleged gang members supposedly ignored. Among the violations of checkpoint protocols were policemen out of uniform, and the lack of signage and marked police car. “'Yung mga violations na 'yun will be subject for administrative charges against sa personnel na kasama doon,” he said.

 

 

On January 7, 13 men--including an environmentalist and two policemen on active duty--were killed by law enforcers after their two-vehicle convoy supposedly ignored a first checkpoint in Atimonan town.

 

An initial investigation by the NBI team indicated that most gunshots in the encounter did not come from the victims.  

Based on the shells recovered from the scene, the passengers only fired their guns 10 times, Mav Gonzales reported on "24 Oras" on Jan. 13. In their inspection of one of the two bullet-riddled SUVs, the NBI team found that there were more than 214 entry points and 96 exit points in the SUV with a PNP commemorative plate. In the second SUV with no license plate, there were 59 entry points and 33 exit points.

 

Marantan to be probed

 

Purisima likewise said a legitimate checkpoint must be in a well-lighted place, and must be manned by officers in uniform. There should also be a marked police vehicle at the checkpoint, and clear signs placed to mark the checkpoint.

 

Superintendent Hansel Marantan, the lone policeman who was injured in the Atimonan incident, will be made available for investigation, Purisima said. 

 

Purisima said that the bullet that was recovered from Marantan's leg will also be used in the investigation.

 

"'Eto pong nakuhang ito ay gagamitin ng NBI sa kanilang imbestigasyon na ginagawa," Purisima said. 

 

Marantan, who reportedly headed the police team at the checkpoint, had been involved in past encounters with suspected criminals, including the November 2005 firefight between police and three suspected car thieves in Ortigas, Pasig.

 

"'Yun po ay hinahalukay natin para ma review kung bakit nagkaganoon 'yung mga kaso na 'yun," Purisma said.

 

Earlier, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said those cases, all related to shootouts, will “be looked into because it might be important in establishing the motive, especially kung ang kalalabasan ng investigation ay negative ang encounter." Marantan, PNP intelligence officer for the Region IV-A, has denied links to jueteng operations, and maintained that the 13 fatalities were members of a gun-for-hire group engaged in the illegal numbers game. — with Carmela Lapeña and Andreo Calonzo/RSJ/KBK/HS, GMA News