The widow of the slain aide of former Biliran Rep. Glenn Chong on Thursday asked the Department of Justice to order the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct its own probe of the killing of her husband in Cainta, Rizal last December 9.
Jeanette Santillan formally asked the DOJ to direct the NBI to conduct a parallel investigation on the circumstances surrounding the killing of her husband Richard Santillan.
“I would like to ask for help of our president, the DOJ and the NBI. I want to file charges against the policemen under [Region IV-A regional director] Gen. [Edward] Carranza,” she said in an interview after submitting her letter to the DOJ.
The widow said she does not believe in the findings of the Philippine National Police that her husband was killed after figuring in an “encounter” with policemen who were looking for a carnapped vehicle.
“The police conducted the autopsy without our consent and knowledge. We learned about it only after 16 hours,” she said.
In her request, the widow specifically asked the NBI to take custody of the evidence from the PNP, including Chong’s vehicle which was equipped with a dashboard camera and Santillan’s belongings.
She sought forensic examinations of the evidence as well as full reconstruction of the incidents leading to the killing.
Mrs. Santillan made the request after a reautopsy by the Public Attorney’s Office showed that her husband was tortured before being killed.
The widow was accompanied by Chong and Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission commissioner Greco Belgica.
Chong said he could be the real target of the attack and believed that Smartmatic could be behind it.
Chong is an election reform advocate who testified in a congressional investigations on the alleged poll fraud during the 2016 elections and tagged Smartmatic in the cheating.
He even submitted to the President Electoral Tribunal earlier several evidence of fraud in support of the protest of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against Vice President Leni Robredo.
“There was really no shootout. Smartmatic or politicians who cheated in the elections could be behind this,” Chong alleged.
According to the police report, Santillan exchanged fires with authorities before he was shot dead. The vehicle had over 30 bullet holes.
Police said they have recovered firearms, an explosive device and a sachet of suspected illegal drugs from his possession.
However, Chong disputed the PNP report, saying his close-in aide went to Cainta for his annual gift-giving activity for impoverished children.