A Manila court has acquitted Davao City police chief Col. Hansel Marantan and 11 other policemen of murder charges arising from a shootout in Atimonan, Quezon in 2013 that left 13 people dead.
In a decision, the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 27 also acquitted Ramon Balauag, Grant Gollod, John Paolo Carracedo, Timoteo Orig, Joselito de Guzman, Carlo Cataquiz, Arturo Sarmiento, Eduardo Oranan, Nelson Indal, Wryan Sardea, and Rodel Talento on the ground of the justifying circumstance on account of their performance of official duty.
“In the face of actual and imminent danger to their lives and limbs, with the information that the occupants of the Montero SUVs were fully armed, the policemen and soldiers acted swiftly,” the ruling stated.
“The force used to overcome the unlawful aggression was reasonable,” it added.
Police initially asserted that the fatalities were members of a gun-for-hire group— a claim denied by the slain men’s relatives.
The Court, however, noted that Marantan was initially shot and injured during the incident.
“The offensive act of shooting Marantan showed intention to cause injury and constituted unlawful aggression. Under the circumstances, the peril to the lives and limbs of the policemen and soldiers was actual and imminent,” the decision read.
The court ordered the bail bonds to be cancelled and returned to the respondents.
Meanwhile, Marantan has filed a request for relief due to health concerns.
Marantan appeared before the Davao City council for an exit call. He also announced that he had submitted a request for relief with the PNP national headquarters on Friday, June 13, 2025.
Marantan also filed a leave of absence while awaiting the court’s decision.
