4 ‘killer cops’ sacked

The notorious police officers involved in the ambush of Calbayog City Mayor Ronald Aquino and his security escorts on March 8, 2021, at Laboyao Bridge, Baranggay Lonoy, Calbayog City, have all been dismissed from service.

And last week’s killing of a journo suggests that the city’s notorious moniker “Kilbayog” for Calbayog is an alarming indication of the unrestrained culture so alarmingly prevalent in the city (read related box story).

In a nine-page decision released last week by the Philippine National Police (PNP) national headquarters,the following police officers have been dismissed: P/Lt. Col. Harry V. Sucayre, P/Lt. Col. Shyrile C. Tan, P/Cpl. Edsel T. Omega, and P/SSG. Neil M. Cebu.

Dated November 8, 2021, the order was signed by former PNP Chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar.

The four accused police officers notoriously named “killer cops” by the local folks have been found guilty of five counts of grave misconduct, four counts for murder, and one count for frustrated murder.

They, too, were found guilty of grave irregularity in performing their duty, in violation of rules 2 and 4 of the Revised PNP Operational Procedure of 2013, which have become the strong basis for their immediate dismissal from service, the judgment said.

The masterminds are next?

Observers closely monitoring the case have speculated that the development might lead to the eventual unmasking of the real masterminds on the kill-plot, and perhaps include them in the filing of appropriate criminal charges.

Former Samar Vice Governor Jimboy Tan and former Calbayog City Councilor Monmon Uy have been implicated in the case by another police officer who claimed they were initially in the loop with the plotters.

The police officer has accused them of allegedly “masterminding and orchestrating the ambush”.

Tan, a brother of Samar Governor Michael Tan and 2nd District Representative Sharee Ann Tan, is a candidate for congressman in the first congressional district of Samar.

Meanwhile, former Councilor Uy is a candidate for mayor of Calbayog City.

Both have categorically denied what they called “baseless and politically motivated accusation”.

Cleared

The rest of the police officers who were initially implicated in the case have been cleared because of the lack of evidence that will help establish their participation in the killing of Mayor Aquino.

It may be recalled that P/Gen. Eleazar vowed for a swift action on the case of those positively identified as being involved in the mayor’s murder.

It was in September when the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) submitted its recommendation on the administrative case to the Discipline Law and Order Division (DLOD) on Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM).

It was an ambush!

Contrary to the initial police reports which claimed that what happened was a “shootout”, the PNP-IAS investigation results debunked the police claim.

“What happened was an ambush. It was an ambush and not a shootout,” the reports said.

The same findings came out from the investigations conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), claiming that what happened was an ambush, which was corroborated and strengthened by some 53 witnesses.

The retrieved CCTV footage and the personal videos by the witnesses were presented at the Senate Hearing on June 9, 2021, through the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs.

Cleared from drug links

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Police Regional Office (PRO8) have also cleared Aquino of illegal drug activities.

Meanwhile, the accused masterminds – Tan and Uy are now facing criminal charges.

It was alleged that they have financed the kill plot of the Calbayog mayor.

With the dismissals and the filing of criminal charges by the NBI at the Department of Justice to Sucayre, Tan, Goles, Armeza Jr., Cebu, Omega, Niño C. Salem, Julius Garcia, Randy Merelos, and John Does/Jane Does, an eventual resolution of the case may no longer be farfetched.