Murder raps filed vs. 'Tokhang' cops in Caloocan

Murder charges were filed on Tuesday against eight police officers who allegedly performed a drug buy-bust operation in Caloocan City in September 2016 that left two people dead.

Assisted by human rights lawyers from the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), the victims' relative charged Supt. Ali Jose Duterte, SPO1 Joel Saludes, PO3 John Cezar Mendoza, PO3 Edgar Manapat, PO1 Aldrin Matthew Matining, Senior Inspector Avelino Andaya, PO3 Harold Jake Dela Rosa, PO3 Billy Villanueva of the Northern Police District and a certain Harlem Ramos with two counts of murder before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Ramos was allegedly the informant who told the police of the whereabouts of the victims.

The complainant also filed an administrative complaint against the police-respondents for Gross Misconduct, Grave Abuse of Authority, Gross Oppression and for Conduct Unbecoming of a Public Officer.

The case stemmed from the killing of Luis Bonifacio and his son, Gabriel Lois, after the police-respondents allegedly conducted a buy-bust operation in their house in the early hours of September 15, 2016.

In her seven-page affidavit, the complainant, Luis' widow, narrated how she saw her husband and son pleaded for their lives during the operation before she heard gunshots from their house.

“[P]ag-akyat ko ay nakita ko ang aking asawa na nakaluhod, at narinig kong sabi niya sa mga pulis na magbibihis lamang siya; at ang aking anak na si Gabriel ay nagmamakaawa sa pulis na huwag silang barilin at paulit-ulit na sinasabing ‘Huwag po sir, papa ko po ‘yan, anong gagawin niyo sa papa ko?’ the complainant said in her affidavit.

Following the incident, she was only asked to retrieve the body of her husband and son from the nearby Manila Central University Hospital.

A police report on the incident also showed that the operation was actually against Luisito Bonifacio, Luis' brother.

‘Rub-out’

NUPL National Capital Region secretary-general Atty. Maria Kristina Conti, who represents the complainant, believes that the incident was more of a “rub-out” than a mere buy-bust operation.

“‘Yung pamilya at mga kapitbahay, ‘yung ang pinaninindigang kwento na narinig pa nila ‘yung mga biktima na nagmakakaawa,” Conti told reporters in an interview.

Conti said they may file more cases of the similar nature in the coming days, as more and more relatives of victims of drug-related killings come up to them to ask for help.

“We might be filing the next case in two weeks. There will definitely be more,” she said.

Conti believes that if all goes well, the present case will prosper and the relatives of the slain victims will see justice.

“Kung patas lang talaga, we think this case would progress beyond preliminary investigation stage. Aabot kami ng korte nito at maghahanap talaga ng ebidensya,” she said.

This was the second time that murder charges have been filed against policemen involved in anti-illegal drug operations.

On March 2, Efren Morillo, the lone survivor of another anti-illegal drug operation in Payatas, Quezon City in August last year, filed murder complaint against the police officers who conducted the operation before the Ombudsman. — KBK/RSJ, GMA News