“Dagul” says he received just P2,000 of the P20,000 he was promised for helping the police catch alleged “salvage” victim, tricycle driver Robin Villarosa. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
The mystery man who jumped from the back of Robin Villarosa’s tricycle—just seconds before the latter was allegedly summarily executed—told authorities on Monday that the whole incident had been planned by the police official who shot him dead.
The 21-year-old man who claimed to be a police asset told National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officials that he agreed to help the policemen involved get Villarosa who, he was told, was wanted for a case of snatching.
Introduced to reporters only as “Dagul,” the witness was presented by the NBI at its headquarters in Manila Monday afternoon.
Clad in a bulletproof vest topped with a blue cap to conceal some of his features, Dagul then narrated his version of the events on the night of
July 14 when Villarosa—based on the footage taken by a closed circuit television camera—was killed after he was shot thrice by Insp. Rommel Salazar, chief of the Gulod Police Community Precinct (PCP) under the Sampaloc police station in Manila.
The Gulod PCP’s spot report on the incident, however, said that Villarosa and an unidentified companion on a tricycle—later revealed to be Dagul—had robbed barangay (village) councilor Steven de Leon as he was walking on Sociego Street in Sampaloc. When Salazar and four of his men learned of the incident, they went after the robbers who fired at them, leading to a shootout that left Villarosa dead.
After footage of the incident revealed a different story, the Manila Police District (MPD) ordered Salazar and the four policemen to surrender and face an investigation.
“There was no robbery. It was all planned by Inspector Salazar to get Villarosa [into] their custody as I was told that he was wanted for snatching from a college student,” Dagul said.
He added that Salazar and his colleagues had promised to give him P20,000 in exchange for helping arrest Villarosa so he agreed to the plan. He claimed that even the supposed “victim,” De Leon, also knew of the plan.
However, he was surprised when Salazar shot Villarosa thrice in the head although the latter was already kneeling with his hands raised in surrender.
“I was the one shown on the camera running away from the tricycle [that Villarosa was driving]. I was running to our getaway vehicle and I was shocked when I heard gunfire,” Dagul said.
He confirmed police statements and the camera footage showing that Salazar shot Villarosa while the four other policemen from the Gulod PCP—Police Officers 1 Ferdinand Valera, Ronald Dipacina, Rhoel Landrito and Diomar Landoy—served as lookouts.
After the incident, Dagul said he went to claim the money promised by the police for his help. However, the police gave him “only P2,000, enough [for me to return] to my province.”
After the incident ended up in the news, Dagul said he feared for his life, prompting him to surrender to the NBI.
Vicente de Guzman, chief of staff of the NBI Deputy Director for Investigative Services, said the agency was now considering putting Dagul under the Witness Protection Program.
According to him, the NBI has also taken into its custody a 15-year-old witness who has also provided information about the events on July 14.
Meanwhile, MPD director Senior Supt. Rolando Nana said that Dagul’s testimony would be the key to solving the case.
“He is the missing link we have been looking for and he will be instrumental to the case,” Nana told reporters, adding, “The Philippine National Police will abide by the rule of law, since the officers involved have been charged with murder.”
However, National Capital Region Police Office officer-in-charge Chief Supt. Allen Bantolo lamented the implications of the case on the whole police force.
“This will not be good for the police’s image. The public may doubt other legitimate police operations. However, the officers involved [in such illegal activities] form only a small part of the force,” Bantolo said.
Salazar and the four other policemen from the Gulod PCP surrendered to the MPD days after the incident and now face murder charges.–With Andronico M. del Rosario