Awol cop involved in Mandaluyong shooting yields

NCRPO chief Director Oscar Albayalde confers with Scene of the Crime Operatives about physical evidence at the site of the deadly shooting incident at the corner of Shaw Boulevard and Old Wack Wack Road in Mandaluyong City on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017. INQUIRER.NET / TETCH TORRES-TUPAS

Following Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Dir. Gen. Ronald dela Rosa’s call to surrender, the head of the Mandaluyong City police team who responded to the Mandaluyong shooting incident last Dec 28 yielded on Wednesday morning, the Eastern Police District said.

EPD director Chief Supt. Reynaldo Biay said Senior Insp. Maria Cristina Vasquez, former chief of the Mandaluyong City Police Station Mobile Patrol unit, reported for duty around 10:45 a.m. at the Regional Personnel and Holding Unit at the National Capital Region Police Office in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Biay said Vasquez then reported to the EPD headquarters around 3p.m. She was accompanied by Senior Supt. Florendo Quibuyen, commander of the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Mandaluyong,” and former Mandaluyong police chief Senior Supt. Moises Villaceran.

Biay said Vasquez will be under the restrictive custody of Supt. Enrique Agtarap, acting chief of the Mandaluyong City Police while investigation is ongoing.

Vasquez was one of the 10 Mandaluyong policemen who were charged with homicide for the deaths of Jonalyn Amba-an and construction worker Jomar Hayawon, while frustrated homicide for wounding Eliseo Aluad and Danilo Santiago.

The four victims were among the seven passengers of a Mitsubishi Adventure van mistaken as the getaway car of the group who earlier shot Amba-an in the head. The van was shot at least 36 times first by responding barangay watchmen, and then by the Mandaluyong City policemen at the corner of Shaw Boulevard and Old Wack Wack Road in Barangay Pleasant Hills around 10:30 p.m. last Dec 28.

Biay said the police are still doing continuous efforts to locate and urge village watchman and driver Gilbert Golpo—one of the suspects accused of firing at the van—to voluntarily surrender.

The other police officers charged and ordered relieved were Police Officers 1 Alfred Uribe, Jave Arellano, Tito Danao, Mark Castillo, Julius Libuen, Bryan Nicolas, Albert Buwag, Kim Rufford Tibunsay, PO2 Nel Lemuel Songalia.

They are all under the restrictive custody of the NCRPO and are temporarily assigned at the regional personnel holding and accounting unit. /jpv

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