Bullet holes mark the Mitsubishi Adventure van that was reportedly shot up by barangay tanods and later by police officers in Mandaluyong City on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2017. INQUIRER.NET / TETCH TORRES TUPAS
The Mandaluyong police chief who was relieved after a mistaken shooting incident that killed two and wounded two others was back at work on Monday.
An order from the National Capital Region Police Office showed that Senior Supt Moises Villaceran Jr. was reinstalled and resumed work as Mandaluyong police chief on Jan. 26 after he was cleared of direct responsibility for the incident.
“I was relieved administratively pending the result of the investigation. But they found out in their investigation that I performed all necessary actions during and after the incidents,” Villaceran told the Inquirer.
“In fact, they found out that before that incident, there were a series of lectures and orientation [I and my office] conducted relevant to police operational procedures and dragnet operations. We also conducted simultaneous exercises in response to call for police assistance. Thus, I was reinstalled,” he added.
Villaceran, a former head of the Police Community Relations of Negros Island, assumed office in November but was relieved a month later because of the incident.
“I was relieved to ensure that I did not have participation in the case and there would be no whitewashing. They found out I am far from “command responsibility” because the policemen have a team leader, supervisor, a police community precinct commander who is under the duty officer of the day. I am also new at work. I will be held liable if I gave wrong instructions, had lapses or neglected my duty,” Villaceran said.
On Dec. 28, village watchmen from Barangay Addition Hills and responding policemen opened fire a Mitsubishi Adventure van which they thought was carrying gunmen from an earlier shooting incident.
It turned out that the vehicle, which was shot at least 36 times, was taking a woman — the victim of the first shooting event — to the hospital.
When the smoke cleared, the woman, Jonalyn Amba-an, and a man, Jomar Hayawon, who was helping take her to the hospital, were dead.
Two other people in the vehicle: Danilo Santiago and Eliseo Aluad, were wounded.
Nine policemen involved in the shooting were charged then later released on bail.
Charged were Police Officers 1 Jave Arellano, Alberto Buag, Mark Castillo, Tito Danao, Kim Tibunsay, Bryan Nicolas, Julius Libuen, Alfred Uribe and PO2 Nel Songalia, who each posted a P25,600 bond.
Their commanding officer, Senior Insp. Maria Cristina Vasquez, underwent preliminary investigation on Monday and remained under restrictive custody at the Mandaluyong police station.
Senior Supt Florendo Quibuyen, who led Task Force Shaw that probed the incident, said they also filed a homicide case against Aluad. A witness and police forensic investigation showed that he could have accidentally shot Amba-an, his live-in partner.
“The case is already in the court. It’s up to the court now,” Villaceran said.
Villaceran’s background is in crime and intelligence division after serving for seven years at the Criminal Investigation and Detection group in Camp Crame starting 1998.
He also served as Pampanga’s CIDG chief in 2004 when NCRPO Director Oscar Albayalde was regional chief of the Regional Intelligence Unit 3. Villaceran also previously led the Angeles City police station and served as Provincial Mobile Group in Pampanga. /cbb