4 cops charged over summary killings

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has filed multiple murder and frustrated murder charges against four policemen here, including two junior officers, and several other people in connection with a case of summary executions that unraveled with the discovery of the bodies of three of the victims and the testimony of the fourth victim, who survived barely alive.

Supt. Adonis Mutya, deputy city police director for operations, said charged at the city prosecutors’ office on Wednesday were Senior Insp. Ludwig Charles Espera, Insp. Arnel Gighe, PO1 Manuel Quipanes and PO1 Riel Barrientos.

Also charged were lawyer Marlon Yap and other accused known only as Sammy, Regie and Toto and several still unidentified men.

The charge sheet was signed by Chief Insp. Melgar Devaras, CIDG Cagayan de Oro head.

According to Mutya, the charges were based on the testimony of a certain Jim Jamaca, the lone survivor of the summary executions, and those of other witnesses.

Ominous invitation

In an affidavit, Jim said PO1 Quipanes had invited him, his cousins and siblings Roland and Harold Jamaca and Jim’s girlfriend, Ma. Erica Yabut, to the house of a Mario Rullen in Barangay Carmen here on Dec. 10.

At Rullen’s house, Jim said Quipanes and other suspects beat up Harold and his brother Roland then dragged them into a Toyota Innova.

Jim and his girlfriend, Yabut, were forced into another car allegedly owned by lawyer Yap.

Roland and Harold, sons of a retired police officer, were later found dead in Zone 7 in the remote village of Mambuaya here. Their bodies were riddled with bullets and they were still in handcuffs when they were found.

Witnesses later told investigators that they saw a vehicle arrive in the area where the bodies were found. Moments later, they heard someone shout “Run!” before bursts of gunfire were heard.

Jim said he and Yabut were driven around the city until they met Senior Inspector Espera and Inspector Gighe.

The two police officers told the other suspects to transfer Jim and his girlfriend to another vehicle.

Cheating death

Deputy city police chief Mutya, quoting Jim’s affidavit, said that upon reaching F.S. Catanico Street, Espera and Gighe shot Jim and his girlfriend. “He cheated death by playing dead,” Mutya said of Jim.

Jim was later rescued by a habal-habal (a motorcycle turned into a public utility vehicle) driver, who brought him to a hospital here. Yabut’s body was found early morning of Dec. 11.

PO2 Rolando Ressurecion said investigators found bullet shells at the scene of the crime on F.S. Catanico Street that showed that the guns used were .45-cal. pistols. The severed hands of Jim and Yabut were also found there.

Dr. West Edquila of the police’s Scene of the Crime Operatives in Northern Mindanao said the Jamaca brothers Roland and Harold and Yabut bore multiple bullet wounds in the head and body. They died instantly.

Police assets

A mobile phone was also found in one of the two crime scenes, he said.

Mutya said Espera and Gighe had surrendered but the two other police officers were still at large.

Police are still uncertain about the motive. Several leads are being studied, Mutya said.

Relatives of the victims, however, said the brothers, Roland and Harold, were police assets, who had put their lives in danger.

CIDG sources said it was possible that only Roland and Harold were the targets, but the perpetrators had to deal with Jim and his girlfriend, too, to eliminate them as witnesses. Bobby Lagsa, Inquirer Mindanao