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Thursday, June 30, 2005
4 cop chiefs suspended over unsolved killings
By Raquel C. Bagnol and Aurea A. Gerundio
DAVAO CITY -- The Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices (Moleo) suspended four top ranking police officials in Davao City for failing to solve the summary killings of hundreds of people since 1998.
Moleo Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro endorsed the order of preventive suspension against Davao City Police Office chief Superintendent Conrado E. Laza, Chief Inspector Matthew P. Baccay, Chief Inspector Filmore B. Escobal, and Chief Inspector Vicente D. Danao Jr. to Ombudsman for Mindanao Antonio E. Valenzuela.
The move was based on the recommendation of graft investigation and prosecution officer Luis E. Aquino who is investigating charges for neglect of duty and inefficiency and incompetence in the performance of their official duties against the policemen.
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, interviewed over television station ACQ-KBN Tuesday, said the Ombudsman may have overlooked a few things when it issued the order.
"It is really funny. Davao City has won as the most outstanding police office for two years, and they started the counting of the killings in 1998 when Laza was not yet chief of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO)," he said.
Police records showed that from August 1, 1998 to June 30, 2004, a total of 247 people were reported as victims of summary killings in Davao City.
Police investigators eyed drugs as motive in 60 of the 247 deaths.
It was also learned that 67 of the total deaths took place within the jurisdiction of Sta. Ana Police Station under Escobal, 52 were in the jurisdiction of Sta. Ana police precinct under Baccay, and 51 incidents in the jurisdiction of the Talomo police under Danao.
The Ombudsman held that the inability of four top police officials to prevent the summary killings is an indication of gross negligence of duty and inefficiency and incompetence in the performance of their duties.
The Ombudsman found that the "evidence of guilt is strong and the respondent's continued stay in their office may prejudice the just, fair and independent disposition of the case filed against them."
The Ombudsman directed Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Arturo Lomibao to implement the suspension immediately upon receipt of the order and to notify the Ombudsman office of the status of its implementation in five days.
The respondents will be on preventive suspension without pay and allowances pending the disposition of the case. The suspension will not exceed six months, the Ombudsman said.
The police officials were further directed to file their counter-affidavits and other evidence within 10 days after receiving the suspension order.
Sun.Star tried but failed to get the reaction of the police officials on their suspension.
Mayor Duterte said he sent the four police officials to Manila to confer with their lawyer and to ask for a temporary restraining order to their suspension.
"I assume full responsibility for the state of affairs in the city," the mayor said.
Councilor Peter T. Laviña, however, said the suspension showed that the Office of the Ombudsman for Mindanao has found out that the city police office was not doing its job because it failed to solve the killings.
"The suspension is long overdue. Dugay na gipangayo ni sa katawhan (This has been asked for so long by the people)," Laviña said.
Councilor Bonifacio E. Militar agreed with Laviña, saying he has full trust in the competence and integrity of the Ombudsman.
"When you are head of the department, you have the command and responsibility. So, maybe, he (Laza) is a victim of this command and responsibility rule where three of his station commanders allegedly were not efficient in solving the summary killings," Militar said.
Councilor Angela Librado-Trinidad said solving the problem should not just stop with the suspension of the police officials.
Trinidad said the police should find ways to stop the killings of suspected criminals.
"The failure to do an act against crimes makes a state liable," Trinidad said. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
Click here for a chronology of the crisis.
Click here for the transcript of Arroyo's confession.
(June 30, 2005 issue)
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