Caloocan police officials escape ax over death of 7 people

PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. RAFFY LERMA/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Caloocan City police officials managed to keep their posts after Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said he was satisfied with the investigation into the killing of seven people, including three minors and a pregnant woman, in the city on Wednesday night.

Dela Rosa on Thursday morning gave Northern Police District director Senior Supt. Robert Fajardo and Caloocan police officials 24 hours to look into the killings in Barangay (village) Bagong Silang.

“As of 12 noon of Dec. (30), the PNP chief said he is satisfied with the initial results of the police action by Caloocan City police station with the arrest of one suspect and the ongoing manhunt for the three other cohorts in the crime,” Philippine National Police spokesperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos told the media on Friday.

Four armed masked men shot and killed the victims in adjacent shanties in Phase 8, Barangay 176 past 9 p.m. Wednesday. The gunmen were reportedly going after a certain drug suspect named Jay-R Santor.

The police said the shooting was due to a war between “drug gangs.”

Dela Rosa said the police were not behind the killings, even telling the media to “stop poisoning the minds of public” by insinuating that policemen carry out summary killings as part of President Duterte’s drug war.

“Please stop insinuating to the public that this is the work of the police,” Dela Rosa said in a press conference at the Caloocan City Police on Thursday.

“Onsehan ito sa drugs. Sana maliwanagan ‘yung publiko at ibang members ng media na nag-entertain ng idea na kagagawan na naman ito ng police at iniinsinuate na EJK (extrajudicial killings) ito. Sana ‘wag nating i-poison ang utak ng tao,” Dela Rosa said.  CBB/rga