DOJ panel junks appeal of mom of activist in 'Bloody Sunday' raid

Department of Justice prosecutors have junked a motion asking them to reconsider their dismissal of the murder complaint against 17 police officers allegedly involved in the killing of spouses Chai and Ariel Evangelista in the so-called Bloody Sunday raids.

In a 4-page resolution dated May 29 but made public on Friday, the panel of prosecutors denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Rosenda Lemita, the mother of Chai Evangelista, for lack of merit.

“The complaint did not sufficiently prove conspiracy, but merely replied on a baseless assumption that the Philippine National Police (PNP) conducted its operations specifically to kill spouses Evangelista,” the panel said.

“However, nothing has been submitted to support this claim,” it added.

The couple was among the activists killed on March 7, 2021, when police authorities conducted simultaneous police operations in Calabarzon.

Two years later, the panel recommended the dismissal of the murder complaint against the police for insufficiency of evidence.

The panel cleared respondents Police Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Tan Nandu Jr., Police Lieutenant Arjay Santos, Police Master Sergeant Rafael Roque, Police Master Sergeant Mark Tolentino, Police Staff Sergeant Elvern Cacatian, Police Staff Sergeant Rodel Sillacay, Police Staff Sergeant Edgar Brinas, Police Corporal Aldrin Gabrillo, Police Corporal, Police Corporal Allen Lugue, Patrolman, Julio Bautista, Patrolman Ray Boom Boom Dalingay, Patrolman Grizzly Paras, Patrolman Rogelio Ninolla, Patrolman Ruel Tentoso, Patrolman Rich Tumacder, Patrolman Renzo Santos, and Patrolman Mark Padul.

In its resolution, the panel said a pre-operation briefing conducted before they implemented the search warrants supports the legitimacy of the police operation to implement the warrant and was not simply a conspiracy to kill the couple.

“Moreover, as there was no conspiracy, complainant failed to establish the person who actually killed the spouses, but only made a sweeping accusation against all police officers who participated in the operation,” the panel said.—LDF, GMA Integrated News