NBI receives fact-finding report on Atimonan ‘shootout’

MANILA, Philippines – The full report of the fact-finding team of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on the alleged shootout in Atimonan, Quezon was turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Tuesday.

PNP Chief Director General Alan Purisima formally turned over the two-inch thick report to NBI Director Nonatus Rojas. Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II was present at the turnover held in Camp Crame.

“All physical evidence, slugs, vehicles, etc., are now in the PNP crime lab … and all those will be part of continuing turnover to NBI,” Roxas said.

The alleged shootout, which occurred at a checkpoint along Maharlika Highway in Barangay (village) Lumutan, Atimonan last January 6 left 13 people dead, including suspected jueteng lord Victor Siman.

Three police and three military personnel were found dead with the group of Siman who was travelling in two SUVs before they were flagged down at the checkpoint by authorities after which the purported shootout occurred.

Roxas added that copies of the fact-finding report will also be sent to President Benigno Aquino III and the Commission on Human Rights.

Roxas also added that he has ordered an internal investigation on how drafts of the report leaked out and was cited in news report.

“There have been leaks … the report was not yet final but already there were speculations,” Roxas said.

He said that NBI will give the final judgement of the incident and it will make the announcement.

Roxas however said that one crucial piece of information was not obtained by the fact finding team: the statement of Superintendent Hansel Marantan, the chief of intelligence of Calabarzon Regional police office, because he refused to be interviewed by investigators and also refused to have his injuries examined.

Marantan was the only one injured on the side of the authorities in the alleged shootout.

He called on Marantan to cooperate with the NBI’s continuing investigation in the name of transparency.