Police, NBI both probe Pogoy case

THE police will continue its investigation of the July 7 brawl in Kuerks Bar and not hand over the case to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) unless the offended party requests it, said Cebu City police chief Mariano Natuel Jr.
Natuel said the investigation would be fair to all parties, including Cebu City Councilor Gerry Carillo.
Carillo on Wednesday asked the NBI 7 to handle a separate investigation since the father and brother of the 16-year-old victim Jan Nino Pogoy are policemen.
NBI supervising agent Rennan Oliva was assigned to the case.
“If there is evidence, we will file charges,” he said. He said the NBI is asking Natu-el for a copy of the police spot report and progress report.
Homicide section investigators are ready to file serious physical injuries charges in relation to child abuse based on accounts of three witnesses in the commotion but are waiting for the decision of the Pogoy family.
SPO1 Jay Yballe, homicide chief investigator, said that they can file charges anytime against Carillo once the boy’s parents decide to pursue the case.
Natuel said police will treat Carillo as an ordinary suspect in a crime investigation, which is why he was invited for questioning on Monday. No arrest was made, he said, because there was no basis for a warrantless arrest.
Natuel assured that police avoided bias by having the case investigated by the homicide section and not the Parian police station, since the victim’s elder brother was assigned there. /Chito AraGon and Ador Vincent S. Mayol