DOJ investigating 2 cops for the murder of a La Union vice mayor

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is looking into the alleged involvement of two police officers in the November 2018 murder of Balaoan, La Union Vice Mayor Alfred Concepcion.

Senior Police Officer 1 Dario Cahigas and Senior Police Officer 2 Arnold Calzado, both La Union police officers, face a complaint for two counts of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder over the Nov. 14, 2018 ambush of Concepcion and his daughter, town Mayor Aleli Concepcion.

The vice mayor's aide, Mike Ulep, was killed in the ambush. Aleli and several other companions, all of whom were on their way to the municipal hall, suffered gunshot wounds.

After months of investigation, the Ilocos office of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said that they had established that the two policemen and two other unnamed persons were involved in the killings.

The bureau filed a complaint with the DOJ last July 31, but only announced the filing after prosecutors started their preliminary investigation on Monday.

Angelito Magno, who headed the NBI's investigation, revealed that among the evidence they gathered was a ball cap and mask, CCTV footage, DNA examination results, and witness affidavits. Authorities also recovered more than 200 cartridge cases from the crime scene.

The town mayor, Aleli, recalled that their convoy had just come parallel to the Balaoan Central School, just around 150 meters away from a local police station, when it was peppered with bullets for about two minutes.

"I register my disgust and revulsion over the involvement of police officers in the murder of my father. This is the highest of all treason," she said at an NBI press briefing on Monday. Aleli was re-elected for a second term last May.

She said there was a standing P10-million reward for persons who could provide information pointing to the other perpetrators and the masterminds of the crime.

She also urged the other suspects to surrender so that they could be "protected from the very same people who gave you the orders to kill."

"And because you can potentially identify the plotters, the leaders and the masterminds of this conspiracy, you are now a liability and a threat to them," she warned.

Aleli also urged President Rodrigo Duterte to "intervene" in the case, expressing confidence that the chief executive would hold all those responsible for the crime accountable.

Prosecutors will resume hearings on the NBI's complaint on Sept. 16, when the two policemen are expected to file their counter-affidavits. After the investigation, prosecutors will determine whether or not to file charges in court. — DVM, GMA News