PNP-IAS taps top investigator to take over probe of Mandaluyong mistaken attack

With many questions on the mistaken assault last month in Mandaluyong City that  left two persons dead still unanswered, the Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) has tapped its chief investigator to fill in the blank.

Initial conclusion

PNP-IAS inspector general Alfegar Triambulo said that National Capital Region  internal affairs service investigators, who handled the Dec. 28 shooting incident in Mandaluyong City, have come up with an initial conclusion, but noted that “there are many angles that were not covered in the (initial) investigation report that need to be looked into.”

According to Triambulo, he has directed PNP-IAS intelligence and investigation division chief Michael Darwin Bayotas to take over the probe and determine if there was sufficient basis to conduct summary dismissal proceedings on the 10 Mandaluyong City policemen involved in the incident that resulted in the death of two people: Jonalyn Amba-an and Jomar Hayawun.

The PNP-IAS inspector general said the initial report had already recommended the conduct of precharge investigation against Senior Insp. Maria Cristina Vasquez, the team leader who was included under the principle of command responsibility; PO1 Alfred Uribe; PO2 Nel Samuel Songalia; PO1 Jave Arellano; PO1 Tito Danao; PO1 Mark Castillo; PO1 Julius Libuen; PO1 Bryan Nicolas; PO1 Albert Buwag; and PO1 Kim Rufford Tibunsay.

Paraffin, ballistics tests

But he pointed out that there were still unanswered questions, which mostly revolve around the results of the paraffin and ballistics tests.

Triambulo said that Bayotas would primarily look into the possibility that the workers at the Mandaluyong City College construction site on Freedom Park in Barangay Addition Hills traded shots, which would explain why some of them tested positive for the presence of gunpowder nitrates.

Another question that the PNP-IAS chief investigator would have to answer is: Who owns the guns that fired the bullets that killed Amba-an and Hayawun and injured two other persons?

Likewise, the PNP-IAS has to identify the policemen who were seen on closed-circuit TV footage kicking at the windows of and firing at the Mitsubishi Adventure in which the construction workers were ferrying Amba-an to the nearest hospital.

According to Triambulo, some of the policemen tested negative for gunpowder nitrates but has  has to be validated.

“Did they really not fire their guns?” he said, explaining that paraffin tests were not conclusive.

Appropriate charges

In the precharge investigation, the appropriate charges for each of the policemen-respondents would also be determined.

According to a report from the Eastern Police District before the incident, which happened at around 10:30 p.m. of Dec. 28, Amba-an was shot by a Salam Abdul Majid whose group had a heated exchange with her live-in partner Eliseo Aluad.

Amba-an, who was shot in the head, was being rushed to the hospital in a white Mitsubishi Adventure (WNX-737) when Abdurakman Alfin—Majid’s companion—reported the shooting to the Bantay Bayan of Barangay Addition Hills, identifying the vehicle as that of the fleeing suspects.