BLACK FRIDAY PROTEST Members of youth groups denounce the killing of National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Randy Malayao. —RICHARD A. REYES
CITY OF ILAGAN, ISABELA —Top police officials of Nueva Vizcaya province who were sacked on Friday denied mishandling evidence in their investigation of the murder of National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Randy Felix Malayao.
Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde had ordered the relief of Senior Supt. Jeremias Aglugub, Nueva Vizcaya police director, and Chief Insp. Geovanni Cejes, Aritao police chief, “for apparent lapses in the investigation … particularly the mishandling of evidence at the crime scene.”
Close aides of Aglugub and Cejes said the two had “closely investigated” Malayao’s case.
Malayao, 49, was shot twice while asleep inside a bus that made a pit stop in Aritao early on Wednesday.
For ‘bungling probe’
He was heading home to San Pablo town in Isabela province from Manila. The assailant escaped on a motorcycle driven by another man.
Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, Cagayan Valley police director, said the two officers would be investigated for administrative liabilities for allegedly “bungling the probe.”
The officers relented when Malayao’s grieving relatives insisted on getting his belongings, including his mobile phones, laptop and other gadgets, which investigators could have examined for leads to his killing.
Investigators were left to seek witnesses who could identify the gunman and his companion in the vicinity of the bus stop.
Artist’s sketch
The Cagayan Valley police described the gunman as between 5 feet, 4 inches and 5 feet, 6 inches tall, of medium build, fair-skinned, and around 25 to 30 years old. Police said he wore a mask and a hooded gray jacket.
They have released an artist’s sketch of him and the getaway driver.
Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma was dismayed over the PNP chief’s action and defended the relieved officers.
“I believe these police officials did the right thing by respecting the rights of the victim,” she said in a phone interview.
“The victim has a constitutional right [to] privacy over his [personal] effects, which should prevail over any police procedural rules that the PNP is citing. He has fallen victim to a grave injustice, and by depriving him custody of his belongings, the PNP could have become part of committing another injustice,” Cuaresma said.
Killing condemned
She also denied media reports that she interceded for the victim’s family to get his belongings.
The killing was strongly condemned by activists and human rights groups, including the London-based Amnesty International.
Rallies to demand justice for the slain peace consultant were held on the campuses of the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) in Iloilo City and Miagao, where he had graduated with a fisheries degree.
“Randy was tireless. His sense of justice was unwavering and so was his compassion,” said professor Mary Barby Badayos-Jover, his friend and who, like him, was editor of the UPV student paper, Ang Mangingisda. —WITH REPORTS FROM JAYMEE T. GAMIL, MELVIN GASCON AND NESTOR P. BURGOS JR.