PNP chief Carlos defends cops amid murder raps over Pilar, Abra shooting

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Dionardo Carlos on Monday defended his personnel facing murder complaints over the fatal shooting incident in Pilar, Abra on March 29.

At a press conference, Carlos acknowledged the task of the National Bureau of Investigation, who filed the complaint before the Department of Justice, to probe into the incident.

Carlos, however, pointed out that the convoy of Pilar Vice Mayor Jaja Josefina Somera Disono disregarded the police checkpoint, which led to the standoff that killed her bodyguard.

“With due respect to another law enforcement agency and investigating, sige, go ahead, wala kaming problema, hindi kami magtatago (we have no problem with that, we will not hide),” he said.

“But clearly, they disregarded the checkpoint, there are armed men, and there are firearms in the particular incident,” he added.

Carlos said a video footage showed that the convoy of Disosno supposedly ran over the cops at the checkpoint.

He further said there was an intelligence report in connection with the use of armed men in the area, citing Cordillera regional director (RD) Police Brigadier General Ronald Lee.

“Saka may intelligence information. Pakinggan ninyo ang briefing ng RD. Gaano na sila katagal doon. Hindi naman sila biglang sumulpot na kinse sila doon na bigla na lang sila armado,” he said.

(There was intelligence information. Check the briefing of RD. How long have they been there? They did not just suddenly appear there, they were 15, suddenly they were armed.)

“So planado 'yan on the part of who utilizes this armed group. Fifteen, dose sila. May umuwi, may nag-leave, merong umayaw, kaya nabawasan,” he added.

(That was planned on the part of who utilizes this armed group. There were 15, 12. Some of them went home, some took a leave, some backed out, that’s why they were reduced.)

The NBI filed complaints for murder before the DOJ against top police officials in the Cordillera Autonomous Region and Abra in connection with the shooting incident.

Among the respondents were Police Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee, the police regional director in CAR; and Police Colonel Maly Cula, acting police provincial director in Abra.

Also the subject of the complaint were Police Lt. Col. Melencio Mina, chief of the provincial intelligence unit and provincial drug enforcement unit; Police Capt. Ronaldo Eslabra, chief of the Pilar police; Comelec Officer 2 Rodrigo Base; and members of the Pilar police and the regional mobile force battalion.—AOL, GMA News