Fabricated, says Negros city cop chief of criminal raps by massacre witness’ mother

BACOLOD CITY – It’s fabricated and designed to intimidate the police.

That was the reaction yesterday of Chief Insp. Robert Mansueto, Sagay City police chief, to the criminal charges filed against him and three others for alleged threats.

The charges were filed by the mother of the 14-year-old witness in the massacre of nine farmers in Hacienda Nene, Barangay Bulanon, Sagay City.

Named in her complaints filed Monday were the father of the child witness, Vic Pedaso, for violation of Republic Act 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act) and Mansueto.

Also charged were Senior Police Officer 1 Julie Ann Diaz and PO1 Christine Magpusaw, for child abuse under Republic Act 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act).

There is no basis for the charges, and the police has evidence to prove this, Mansueto said.

The child was placed under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and was not in police custody, he said.

Mansueto added that when the child narrated before the prosecutor what he saw during the massacre for an affidavit, this was done in the presence of his father and a social worker, and they have evidence and a video to prove that.

“We will see who will be embarrassed, we have evidence against them,” he said in reaction to the complaints filed.

He said the child narrated what he saw but could not identify the persons who perpetuated the massacre unless perhaps he sees them again, so his affidavit did not lend much weight to the case the police filed against the suspects.

Members of the National Union of People’s Lawyers have asked the Department of Justice to act on the complaints.

“Complainant and her son have experienced threats from respondents, including the filing of trumped-up charges in Sagay City against one of the complainant’s counsels. Thus, they sought refuge in Manila,” the complaint said.

Pedaso also filed charges of kidnapping against human rights group Karapatan over their alleged detention of his son who witnessed the Sagay massacre.

He named NUPL lawyer Katherine Panguban as the alleged kidnapper of his son.