Cop in Atimonan shootout sensed danger just as gunfire erupted

Philippine National Police Superintendent Hansel Marantan, who led an operation that resulted in the death of 13 people in an alleged shootout in Atimonan town last Sunday, said that he sensed danger just before gunfire erupted between his men manning a checkpoint and the alleged gunmen-for-hire. Marantan, intelligence officer of the Region IV-A police office, recalled how the police operatives at the checkpoint asked men in the two-vehicle convoy to roll down their windows. “Ibaba niyo ‘yung bintana, pulis kami. This is a check point,” Marantan, the lone policeman hurt in the incident, purportedly said to the passengers. However, the men in convoy allegedly ignored the command. “In fairness with them, binaba naman nila ‘yung bintana and then they rolled the window up again. At that time, I sensed danger already. Hindi lang ako, yung kasama ko pala naka-sense na rin ng danger,” the police official told Sandra Agiunaldo in an exclusive interview on GMA News TV’s “State of the Nation with Jessica Soho” aired Wednesday.   “Nagkawalaan na kami run. I moved back, maybe I stepped backward three or four [steps], ganyan, and then ‘yun putok dumating na,” he explained. The shootout killed all 13 people in the convoy, including police officers, members of the Armed Forces, and an environmentalist. The victims were alleged members of a gun-for-hire group lead by Victorino Siman, who also died in the Atimonan town shootout. Marantan noted that they were monitoring Siman’s group for alleged loose firearms violations. It was subsequently discovered that of the 14 guns recovered from those killed, only seven had permits to carry firearms. He added that their operation was sanctioned by higher ranks. Marantan denied knowing that fellow police officers were in the convoy. “Hindi ko akalain na may mga pulis doon sa sasakyan.” He likewise denied knowing that one of those killed in the Atimonan shootings, Siman, had filed a case against him two months ago. According to a news report, Marantan was sued for multiple murder last November as he was allegedly involved in the killing of six men in an encounter in Calamba City in Laguna. The men killed were supposedly members of a gun-for-hire group fronting as bet collectors for Siman. Marantan also has a pending case before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court in connection with the November 2005 deaths of three suspected car thieves in an alleged rubout in Ortigas. Marantan was demoralized by all the allegations levelled against him. “Hindi na ako nanonood ng tv…dahil ano… nakakademoralize. Eh it’s part of the job,” the visibly emotional policeman said. An initial investigation of the Quezon shootout showed that police operational procedures were not followed during Sunday’s operation. PNP chief Alan Purisima at a press conference on Wednesday disclosed that police vehicles had no visible marking and the personnel at the checkpoint were not in uniform. — Rouchelle R. Dinglasan/ DVM/ GMA News