Retiring Navy Captain in slay of rookie cop detained at Naval base

MANILA, Philippines—A retiring captain of the Philippine Navy who was charged with murder after his alleged involvement in the killing of a rookie police officer in 1997 has been detained at Fort San Felipe, Cavite City after his arrest in June, a Navy official said.

Colonel Edgar Arevalo, Philippine Navy spokesman, said Captain Vicente Marcelo Lampas is in custody and awaiting his trial in September at Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 18.

Lampas has been charged with murder after he was accused of killing Domingo Piopongco Jr., a graduate of the Philippine National Police Academy, in November 1997 outside a bar in Aparri, Cagayan.

Arevalo said that members of the Philippine Navy arrested Lampas on June 9 after the National Bureau of Investigation gave them a copy of the warrant.

Lampas, a member of the Philippine Military Academy batch 1982, allegedly shot Piopongco, a lieutenant of PNP, with an M-16 rifle after a verbal tussle inside a bar in Cagayan.

Piopongco died immediately while two of his friends were wounded.

“Subject officer is under administrative investigation, pursuant to the Articles of War and existing Armed Forces of the Philippines Rules and Regulations,” Arevalo said.

Lampas is due to reach the mandatory retirement age of 56-years-old on December 29.

Arevalo said the Philippine Navy filed for Motion for Custody for Lampas as he is still a member of the active force of the Navy.

Colonel Aaron Fetalvero, Naval Base Cavite Commander, filed the motion on August 6 following a court order directing the transfer of Lampas to the Manila City Jail.

He added that the Motion for Custody is set for hearing on September 1, 2014.

 Originally posted: 5:41 pm | Wednesday, August 27th, 2014