Atimonan 13 kin troop to NBI to file complaints

Atimonan Shoot-out- Brother of alleged gambling lord Victorino Siman among with the families of the 13 individuals killed at Atimonan, Quezon cries as they plead thier case to the NBI, claiming thier relatives were civilians and not members of a gun for hire syndicate, at the NBI office in Manila, Wednesday.INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Relatives of eight of the 13 people killed in Quezon province on Sunday, on Wednesday trooped to the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila to file complaints against those involved in what police said was a shootout with suspected criminals.

“We are pleading to President Aquino and Justice Secretary (Leila) de Lima and the NBI to help us seek justice,” they said in a statement read by Cristine Consemino, daughter of Supt. Alfredo Consemino who was among the fatalities.

The President on Tuesday directed the NBI to conduct an impartial investigation.

‘Planned ambush’

“We ask the NBI to undertake another autopsy of the victims’ bodies to ensure that there will be no whitewash in the investigation,” the relatives said.

They insisted that those killed were simple men and victims of summary execution. “The ambush is clear. The victims were marked targets of premeditated killings,” they said.

Aside from Cristine, those who appeared at the NBI office were Vic Siman’s brother Christopher; Victorino Atienza’s wife Lirio; Conrado Decillo’s sister Damiana; Leonardo Marasigan’s wife Margin; Gerry Siman’s sister Marilou; and Paul Acedillo Quiohilag’s sister Rodita.

The relatives also denied that the victims were criminals and members of a gun-for-hire syndicate. “The victims were tagged by the police and the media as criminals and these allegations are just figments of the imagination to divert the attention of the people from what really happened.”

They pointed out that those killed had no criminal records.

“The guns of the victims are licensed and registered. If they are members of a gun-for-hire syndicate, why are their firearms registered and licensed? Why would they use registered vehicles? Why is it that not one of them has a criminal record?” the statement said.

Cristine said her father was due for retirement from police service next year and had no derogatory record. “He was a respected policeman,” she said.

She appealed to media to give a balanced account of the incident “in order to give justice to the summary execution of Vic Siman and his companions, especially my daddy.”

The relatives urged witnesses to come out and give their statements.