Mandaluyong police chief, 10 cops relieved from posts over shooting mishap

National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Oscar Albayalde ordered Friday the administrative relief of Mandaluyong City police chief Senior Superintendent Moises Villaceran Jr. and 10 of his men allegedly involved in a shooting incident.

“We have ordered the administrative relief of the 10 including the team leader. For the meantime, the chief of police of Mandaluyong was also relieved,” Albayalde said in a press conference.

Those relieved were:

• Senior Inspector Maria Cristina Vasquez
• Police Officer 2 Nel Lemuel Songalia
• Police Officer 1 Alfred Uribe
• Police Officer 1 Jave Arellano
• Police Officer 1 Tito Danao
• Police Officer 1 Mark Castillo
• Police Officer 1 Julius Libuen
• Police Officer 1 Bryan Nicolas
• Police Officer 1 Albert Buwag
• Police Officer 1 Kim Rufford Tibunsay.

They will be subjected to paraffin test while their firearms will be subjected to ballistic examination.

Albayalde said the police officers are now under restrictive custody at the Eastern Police District headquarters and will be transferred later to NCRPO Police Holding and Accounting Unit.

Asked if there was a lapse on the part of the responding police officers, he said it is most likely.

“Halos 36 shells 'yung na-recover natin. We'll see (if there is a lapse but) we are not discounting the fact na may paglabag ng police operational procedures,” he said.

Albayalde added there could be an overkill on the part of the police but the fact that wrong information was given to them should not be discounted.

“Sinabihan sila na armado 'yung nasa sasakyan kaya bumaril sila,” he said.

The NCRPO chief said the barangay tanods who initially fired their guns on the victims are also subject to investigation.

Jonalyn Ambaon and Jomar Hayawon were killed and Eliseo Aluad and Danilo Santiago Jr. were wounded on Thursday night when Mandaluyong City watchmen and police officers allegedly opened fire on a vehicle they thought was a getaway car.

The "getaway car" was a vehicle that was to be used to bring shooting victim Ambaon to the hospital. Ambaon earlier tried to intervene in an argument when an LPG delivery man shot her at 10:20 p.m. —KG/KBK, GMA News