Senate panel cites in contempt cops in Jemboy Baltazar shooting

The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on Tuesday cited in contempt two police officers who figured in the killing by mistaken identity of 17-year-old Jemboy Baltazar earlier in August.

Police Captain Mark Joseph Carpio, the leader of the team in Jemboy’s fatal shooting, was ordered detained for providing inconsistent narratives on how their operation led to the victim's death.

Police Staff Sergeant Gerry Maliban was cited in contempt for evading the senators’ questions.

During the Senate inquiry,  Carpio said an informant told him that a suspect named Reynaldo Bolivar was at the site where Jemboy was killed.

Carpio said Jemboy and Bolivar had the same body build and facial features.

He then said that they did not see Jemboy.

Asked how the police shot Jemboy if they did not see him, Carpio said their guns were aimed at the water.

Carpio said they were 10 to 15 meters away from Jemboy at that time.

According to the team leader, no one ordered to shoot the water but Maliban who first fired his gun.

Carpio said he had told his team members not to fire their guns.

When Senator Risa Hontiveros noticed inconsistencies in Carpio's narration of the events, Senator Raffy Tulfo asked how Jemboy dove into the water from the boat.

“Hindi nga po natin nakita na may tumalon sa bangka. Ang nakita lang po naming ang nag-iisang tao na si Sonny Boy. Wala po kaming nakita na nasa tubig," Carpio said.

(As I said, we didn't see anyone jump from the boat. We just saw only one person, Sonny Boy. We didn't see anyone in the water.)

Sonny Boy was the person who was with Jemboy when he was shot.

“Ang sabi mo hinahanap mo si Bolivar, tapos ngayon namataan si Jemboy kaya pinagkamalan niyo mistaken identity. Tapos ngayon ang sabi mo hindi mo nakita sa Jemboy. Nakita mo si Sonnyboy. Nililito mo kami e,” Tulfo said.

“Nasaan si Jemboy? Saan galing yun? Galing sa langit nahulog sa tubig?” he went on.

(You said you were looking for Bolivar. Then you saw Jemboy and mistook him for somebody else. Now, you're saying you didn't see Jemboy. You saw Jemboy. You're trying to confuse us.) 

Carpio told the senators that they only knew that Jemboy dove into the water through Sonny Boy.

“You’re giving conflicting statements, captain," Tulfo told Carpio.

In an attempt to clarify the chronology of events, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa asked if Maliban fired his gun when they were told that Jemboy dove into the water.

Maliban did not answer the question and invoked his right against self-incrimination.

At this point, Dela Rosa became agitated and chided Maliban for insisting that the case on Jemboy’s death was already at the prosecutor's office.

“So what? So what kung nasa piskal ang kaso niyo? Gusto mo ihinto ang imbestigasyon ng kumite na ito dahil may kaso na kayong hinaharap? Nobody can stop our investigation. May ruling ang Supreme Court diyan," Dela Rosa said.

"Hindi pwedeng gawi niyong panangga ang kaso na naka-file, ‘yung sub judice rule na yan, hindi ‘yan pwedeng makaapekto sa committee hearing na ginagawa ng Senado,” he added.

Asked again why he fired his gun, Maliban for the second time invoked his right to self-incrimination.

At this point, Hontiveros moved to cite Maliban in contempt for “refusing to answer the questions of the committee” and Carpio for giving “inconsistent, confusing, and unrealistic answers.”

Hontiveros’ motion was seconded by Tulfo and approved by Dela Rosa. —NB, GMA Integrated News