The National Bureau of Investigation has asked the Department of Justice to prosecute 12 members of the Quezon City police district and four agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in connection with the “misencounter” during an illegal drugs operation in Quezon City last February 24.
The controversial shootout near a fast-food restaurant along Commonwealth Avenue resulted in the deaths of two policeman, a PDEA agent and an informant.
Justice Undersecretary Adrian Ferdinand Sugay confirmed on Monday that the NBI filed the complaints after conducting an investigation into the incident, which was ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte. Named respondents in the complaints were PDEA-Special Enforcement Service (PDEA-SES) agents Khee Maricar Pornobi Rodas, Jelou Juanitez Santiniaman, Jeffrey Panhon Baguidudol, and Romeo Asuncion, along wity Quezon City Police District-District Special Operating Unit members PCPL Alvin Borja, PLT Ronnie Ereno, PCPL Marlon Masiclat, PCPL Ronilo Prepose, PCPL Jason Coranez, PCPL Aries Curit, PCPL Marco Tapanan, PCPL James Dasalla, PMAJ Sandie D. Caparroso, PCPL Raul Christian Zacarias Gandeza, PLT Honey Besas, and PCPL Christopher Alvarez.
The NBI recommended the prosecution of PDEA agents Rodas, Santiniaman, and Baguidudol for homicide over the death of QCPD member PCPL Eric Elvin Garado. Baguidudol was also accused of having falsified official documents.
PDEA agent Asuncion and policeman Borja were recommended criminally charged for the deaths of policeman Lauro De Guzman and PDEA agent Rankin B. Gano, respectively.
But the NBI only named as “John/Jane Doe” and has yet to identify who killed the informant identified only as “Untong.”
Attempted homicide was recommended for Santiniaman for wounding policeman Ereno. Attempted homicide was also recommended for the eight other policemen—Ereno, Borja, Masiclat, Propose, Coranez, Curit,
Tapanan, and Dasalla—for wounding PDEA agents Martin Matthew Soriano and Baguidudol.
Policemen Caparroso, Gandeza, and Besas were also accused of direct assault with physical injuries, direct assault with less serious physical injuries, and direct assault.
Caparroso was also charged with robbery and conniving or consenting to evasion. His co-respondents in the robbery charge were Gandeza and Besas.
Alvarez, Besas, and Erena were named Caparroso’s co-respondents in the allegation of having committed conniving or consenting to evasion.
After the “misencounter”, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra directed the NBI to conduct a parallel investigation since the Philippine National Police and PDEA decided to conduct their own probe.
However, the President intervened and ordered the NBI to be the lone investigating agency.