CITY OF CALAPAN—The National Police Commission has started looking into the involvement of two police officers in the slaying of the leader of an anticrime group in Oriental Mindoro province last Sunday.
Lawyer Owen de Luna, acting Napolcom regional director in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), said the agency “will look into how deep the police investigation is being conducted” in the murder of Zenaida Luz, regional head of Citizens Crime Watch.
De Luna said the Napolcom will also look into the background of the police officers involved—Senior Insp. Magdaleno Pimentel Jr. of the Oriental Mindoro Police Public Safety Company in San Teodoro town, and Insp. Mark Son Almeranez, chief of the Socorro town police.
Luz was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle in front of her house in Gloria town on Sunday night. Policemen, after a chase that reached Pinamalayan town, cornered the gunmen who turned out to be Pimentel and Almeranez.
The two, who were wearing ski masks during the attack, were wounded after their fellow policemen shot them. They were taken to a local hospital.
Gov. Alfonso Umali Jr. said the Napolcom probe was “good news” because the truth would come out.
“Can you believe it? These are policemen, riding in tandem. What is important is the case has been filed. We want our policemen to focus on this. There should be no cover-up,” he said.
“This is a serious case involving police officials as suspects,” he said.
Umali said he would ask Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, his brother and chair of the House justice committee, to also look into the case.
Socorro Mayor Fe Brondial, who described Almeranez as “good” in his job, urged people not to prejudge those involved in the case, saying the investigation had yet to be completed.
“It’s not that I am taking his side but the illegal drug problem in Socorro disappeared under his watch,” she said./rga