Ronaldo Aquino —PHOTO FROM CALBAYOG CITY INFORMATION OFFICE FACEBOOK PAGE
MANILA, Philippines—Government panel of prosecutors has indicted nine police officers for the murder of Calbayog City, Samar Mayor Ronaldo Aquino, and three others and the frustrated murder of one of the mayor’s aides.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a statement regarding the Dec. 15, 2021, joint resolution issued by the panel of prosecution stating that it has recommended the filing criminal charges in court against Lt. Col. Harry Sucayre, Maj. Shyrile Tan, Capt. Dino Goles, Lt. Julio Armeza Jr., Staff Sgt. Neil Cebu, Staff Sgt. Edsel Omega, Staff Sgt. Randy Merelos, Cpl. Julius Garcia, Pat. Niño Salem and several John Does.
They were charged with murder for the death of Aquino, his security aide Staff Sgt. Rodeo Sario, driver Dennis Abayon and passerby Clint John Paul Yauder, and for the frustrated murder of another security aide, Mansfield Labonite.
The resolution stated that the Mayor and his aides were ambushed by the police personnel in Labuyao Bridge, Calbayog City.
“The Panel determined that the defenses of denial, alibi, and self-defense, interposed by the respondents-PNP personnel, cannot be given weight in light of the positive assertions of the witnesses and the pieces of evidence submitted by the National Bureau of Investigation,” read the DOJ’s statement that quoted the panel of prosecutor’s resolution.
Meanwhile, the prosecutors dismissed the counter-charges for murder, frustrated murder, and attempted murder filed against the mayor’s son Ronald Mark F. Aquino and Cpl. Ramil A. Rosales and the complaint against Ronald Mark for grave threats.
Meanwhile, the supplemental complaint of Ronald Mark against Raymund C. Uy and Stephen James T. Tan was also dismissed “for there is a strong indication that it is merely an afterthought”.
The prosecution also said the affidavit of the lone witness in the case, Master Sgt. Jose Jay Senario, was unreliable as the “allegations appear to be farfetched which puts his own credibility in question.”
The DOJ said the criminal complaint will be filed before the Calbayog City Regional Trial Court.
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