MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 15, 2013) – Two dozen policemen, including three officers, were relieved on Tuesday following the spate of killings involving police forces in CALABARZON region.
CALABARZON is the acronym for the provinces that makes up the region – Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon – where 13 people, including a senior police officer and a financier of illegal gambling, were ambushed by policemen who set up a roadblock in the town of Atimonan in Quezon.
The ambushers insisted there was a shootout and those who were killed were members of a gun-for-hire syndicate, an allegation strongly denied by the victims’ families. A police investigation said the victims, who were in two vehicles, were ambushed at the checkpoint.
And just recently in San Juan town in Batangas province, police also killed Fernando Morales, who was working for one of those slain in the ambush. Morales’ family said the victim was executed by policemen.
“As a result of the incident that occurred in San Juan, Batangas, the President has ordered Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Mar Roxas to relieve officials of the Philippine National Police with jurisdiction over the area. The following have been ordered reassigned from the Police Regional Office CALABARZON (Region IV-A) to the National Headquarters of the PNP by command of Police Director General Alan Purisima,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
She said: “The protection and safety of our citizens and the maintenance of peace and order remains a priority of government authorities. We will not hesitate to remove and challenge any individual or group that seeks to disrupt the lives of our peace-loving and law-abiding citizens.”
Among those who had been removed from the regional police force have been identified as CALABARZON police chief James Melad and Superintendent Raul Mendita Tacaca, Inspectors Cristitio Villaruel Acohon, Rodolfo Montes Ama, Kent Jerek Flores Capadosa, Senior Police Officer 4 Arturo Pelito Patulot, Senior Police Officer 2 Edgardo Ilagan, Senior Police Officers 1 Edilberto Adan Ele, Danilo de Sagun Piol, Rodrigo Silang Arguelles, Erwin Lajara Cevon, Gener Putian Pineda.
And also Police Officers 3 Jonathan Mandocdoc Cansanay, Allan Cacao Natanauan, Mark Christopher Garcia Aala, Luis Alexander Binay Capacia, Ruel Casas Dimaano, Florencio Marasigan Austria, Christian Atas Caguimbal, Marlon Arevalo Aguado; Police Officers 2 Herbert Gaor Rellora, Reynold Perlas Ramirez, Bernie Dalanon Alday and Police Officer 1 Michael Ulpindo de Castro.
It was not immediately known whether the officers were involved in the killings or not. (Mindanao Examiner)
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