PNP insists 3 RCBC robbery-slay suspects died in shootout

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police on Monday insisted that the death of four suspects in the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) robbery-massacre in Laguna was due to a shootout with the arresting policemen. “That is their finding. We stand by our position that it was a legitimate operation,” said Chief Supt. Ricardo Padilla, director of the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) Regional Police. He was referring to the findings by the Commission on Human Rights that three of the four suspects – Vivencio Javier, Angelito Malabanan and Rolly Lachica – were summarily executed. Padilla did not comment further on the CHR findings. On Thursday, members of the Task Force RCBC trooped to Tanauan City and allegedly barged into the residences of Javier, a village chieftain; and watchmen Malabanan and Lachica in Pagaspas village. While authorities claimed that the three suspects shot it out with arresting policemen, relatives of the slain men said the police team barged into their houses before shooting the three dead. CHR chairperson Leila de Lima said they have at least 10 first-hand eye witnesses who claimed that the three suspects had already held up their hands but policemen still shoved them to the ground and shot them. Ocular inspection conducted by CHR investigators showed that there were no signs that the three slain suspects were able to shoot it out with the policemen. - GMANews.TV