Cops lack solid evidence in Batasan blast

The Philippine National Police conceded Tuesday that it only gathered 30 percent concrete evidence against the suspects in the November 13 Batasan blast and that the remaining 70 percent is based on testimonial evidence. “I think it would be safe to say that 70 percent here is based on confession, and the other 30 percent is evidence," Senior Supt. Asher Dolina, National Capital Region director of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group told congressmen. His statement was in reply to the question of Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon on “how much here (charges vs Batasan suspects) is based on confession?" The second-term lawmaker is vice chairman of the House committee on public order and safety. Biazon made the query even as PNP officials, led by Chief Supt. Edgardo Doromal, asked lawmakers to refrain from asking questions relating to the merits of the case, as it might affect the pending preliminary investigation at the Department of Justice. “On the basis of the evidence, it’s up to the DOJ panel of prosecutors to find out. It might affect the preliminary investigation," Dolina said, to which the legislators agreed. The rule on sub judice, however, cannot as yet apply in the prosecution level, but rather, only in courts. The PNP presented to the House of Representatives its report on the bombing, the investigation it conducted and other details related to it. The PNP officials briefed the three-man Task Force, headed by Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino. Also Thursday, Dolina admitted that they have not checked if the Toyota Corolla bearing the special “8" plate number and the motorcycle bomb have indeed been used to enter the 16-hectare Batasan complex. “We have not checked the logbook. We have not seen in the logbook," Dolina told Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez, who inquired whether police probers bothered to check if these vehicles indeed managed to enter the Batasan premises. “Isn’t that basic in police investigation?" the former national security adviser asked. Dolina said that “any record" or evidence they obtained against the suspects were a result of the raid and arrest they made in Payatas a day after the bombing. Davao del Sur Rep. Mark Cagas, for his part, lauded the PNP for a job well done on its post-blast procedures, but nevertheless cautioned them against indicting anyone without any basis, more so because he was with Rep. Mujiv Hataman – who is a suspect - during the time. “May I just humbly remind the PNP that we must see to it that every detail in the investigation, and persons should be thoroughly investigated, to check and counter-check. This involves the life of people and their reputation," he said. Rep. Joel Villanueva of the Citizens Battle Against Corruption said that while he is a close friend of Hataman and a colleague in the opposition bloc, he does not intend to protect him for as long as the probe remains impartial and the evidence is overwhelming. “We just want to know the truth. We don’t want to protect anybody here," he said. “We just couldn’t believe Mujiv can do it because we were with him when the incident occurred," he told the PNP officials. Hataman has since denied any involvement in the crime, which resulted in the death of Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar. He admitted Akbar is his political foe, but that he doesn’t want him dead. He said their rift was limited to clash of principles. “I will go to the DOJ if they send me a subpoena. I have nothing to hide. My conscience is clear. I know I will be cleared if only the police will conduct a thorough investigation," the party-list lawmaker said. Hataman likewise observed the move to include them (Salapuddin included) in the charge sheet clearly shows the “script" by which police investigators wanted the case to proceed, even if three of the suspects had refused to sign their affidavits in front of prosecutors. “Masyadong obvious na scripted ang ginagawa nila (Obviously, police made up this script)," he said, in reference to the refusal of former Tuburan Mayor Hadjarun Jamiri, Ikram Indama and Kahidar Awnal to appear before the panel of State Prosecutor Peter Ong. The PNP charged Hataman, his brother Jim, and former Deputy Speaker Gerry Salapuddin as “principal by inducement" with four counts of murder and several counts of frustrated murder filed at the DOJ. The PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group defined “principal by inducement" as a person who does not take a direct part in the execution of a crime, but induced or forced another to commit it. They were charged, along with Police Officer 1 Bayan Judda of the Basilan police, based on the testimonies of Indama and Jamiri, who both refused to sign their affidavits because Confesor Sansano was not their lawyer of choice. - GMANews.TV