PNP reviewing 2018 Batangas mayor Halili slay case after Garma linked cop 

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday said it is reviewing the fatal shooting of Tanauan City, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili in 2018 after former police officer and ex-PCSO general manager Royina Garma linked a cop in the case.

“Ang gagawin ng PNP dito is to really dig deeper dito sa kaso na ito at nandoon tayo sa process kasi more than five, six years na nangyari yung insidente,” PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said in a press briefing.

(What the PNP will do here is to really dig deeper in this case because the incident happened more than five, six years ago.)

“So the CIDG is now in the process (of) really retrieving, restudying, and assessing kung saan-saan ba humantong, anong naging direksyon ng investigation with respect dito sa pagpatay kay Mayor Halili,” she added.

(So the CIDG is now in the process of really retrieving, restudying, and assessing where the investigation led to with respect to the killing of Mayor Halili.)

Garma earlier told the House of Representatives QuadComm that a cop named “Albotra” bragged about being part of the team who allegedly killed the mayor.

According to Emil Sumangil's report on "24 Oras” on Monday, Police Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Paul Albotra has denied the allegation.

“Masasabi ko lang po diyan, sir, is hindi po totoo ‘yan, wala pong katotohanan ‘yan (What I can only say is that it is not true, Sir. There’s no truth to that…),” Albotra said.

“Tingin ko eh talagang ano po si Ma’am, confused na po siya sa mga nangyayari sa buhay niya po ngayon at ako po’y naawa po sa kanya,” he added. “Hindi po totoo ‘yung sinasabi ni Ma’am, ‘yun lang po,” he added.

(I think she was just confused about whatever is happening to her life now and I feel sorry for her. But there’s no truth to what she was saying.) 

On July 2, 2018, Halili was shot dead Monday morning while attending Tanauan City Hall's flag raising ceremony.  — BAP, GMA Integrated News