Manila court acquits Hansel Marantan, others over 2013 Atimonan shootout

A Manila court has acquitted Davao City Police Office chief Police Colonel Hansel Marantan and 11 other police officers of murder charges over their involvement in a shootout in Atimonan, Quezon in 2013 that left 13 people dead.

In a decision, the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 27 also acquitted  Ramon Balauag, Grant Gollod, John Paolo Carracedo, Timoteo Orig, Joselito de Guzman, Carlo Cataquiz, Arturo Sarmiento, Eduardo Oranan, Nelson Indal, Wryan Sardea, and Rodel Talento on the ground of the justifying circumstance of fulfillment of duty.

“In the face of actual and imminent danger to their lives and limbs, with the information that the occupants of the Montero SUVs were fully armed, the policemen and soldiers acted swiftly,” it said.

“The force used to overcome the unlawful aggression was reasonable,” it added.

In January 2013, 13 individuals were killed by law enforcers after their two-vehicle convoy allegedly ignored a first checkpoint in Atimonan town.

Police initially said the fatalities were members of a gun-for-hire group — a claim denied by the slain men's relatives. 

The Court, however, noted that Marantan was initially shot and injured during the incident. 

“The offensive act of shooting Marantan showed intention to cause injury and constituted unlawful aggression. Under the circumstances, the peril to the lives and limbs of the policemen and soldiers was actual and imminent,” it said.

The court ordered the bail bonds posted by the cops to be canceled and released. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News