Kin of murder victim slam ‘jogging’ cop
By Jaymee T. GamilThis murder suspect isn’t exactly running around free—although he often goes jogging.
A Pasig judge Tuesday ordered the transfer of a police official accused of murder to a detention center after the victim’s family complained that the office which has custody over him was giving him too much leeway.
The order of Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 153 Judge Aida Estrella-Macapagal for the transfer of Superintendent Rommel Miranda to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Detention Center in Camp Crame was expected to be carried out immediately.
At the same time, Macapagal said that after their arraignment, Miranda and the other suspects would be transferred to the Taguig City Jail.
Miranda, the former spokesperson of the National Capital Region Police Office, is currently in the custody of the Police Holding and Administrative Unit (PHAU) which also holds office inside the main camp of the PNP.
He and four others are accused of killing Leah Angeles Ng, a 40-year-old Chinese-Filipino businesswoman who was abducted on Jan. 20 in Quezon City.
Her body was found in a septic tank inside an abandoned warehouse in San Pedro, Laguna, on Feb. 23.
Ng, who operated a lending business, was kidnapped and killed allegedly following a dispute with Miranda.
According to authorities, Miranda, who moonlighted as the victim’s payments collector, wanted to keep for himself P13 million worth of collected debt payments.
Miranda was implicated by a former policeman and his coaccused Reginal Regidor Santiago who led investigators to the victim’s remains.
According to Santiago, Miranda ordered him and two other policemen, Police Officers 1 Otelio Santos Jr. and Jifford Signap, to dispose of Ng’s body.
Another accused, Elmer Paiste, is also under police custody while Santos and Signap remain at large. Santiago is being held at the PNP Detention Center.
According to the Ng family lawyer, Ana Luz Cristal, the last time they checked on Miranda at PHAU, they failed to see him.
“He leaves the PHAU. We learned he even goes on jogs often,” she said. “He’s not detained. PHAU is just an office. We can’t allow that because he faces a crime with no bail. He can run anytime,” she added.
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