Four Aklan cops under investigation

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

The Aklan Provincial Internal Affairs Service (PIAS) has found probable cause in its pre-evaluation report to charge the four policemen involved in the alleged shooting incident in Buruanga, Aklan with grave misconduct. 

Senior Police Officer 2 Rizaldy Tang, Police Officer 3 Jackson Jauod, Police Officer 1 Vincent Jauod and Police Officer 1 Victor Elisan, all from Buruanga police station, were implicated in the killing of Roderick Baco, a bodyguard of a local official. 

Pre-charge evaluation is a process to determine the existence of probable cause based on the allegations on the complaint and supporting evidence. Grave misconduct is a grave offense in the Philippine National Police (PNP) manual and is punishable by 60 days to six months suspension, one rank demotion or dismissal from the service. 

Last Monday, Aklan PIAS concluded the administrative hearing of the complaint of Eufemia Baco, wife of Roderick.  

The PNP personnel violated Rule 21, paragraph C, sub-paragraph 3 which are punishable under the Revised Penal Code or Special Laws of the National Police Commission (Napolcom) Circular 2007-001, according to PIAS pre-charge evaluator Police Officer 3 Pelegrino Palomar Jr. in his memorandum to the IAS regional director. 

Meanwhile, one of the accused said the Buruanga police officers responded to the area after they received a complaint of alarm and scandal from a resident. It turned out Baco was killed in a shoot-out by responding members of Buruanga PNP. 

“It was a legitimate police operation. We are innocent. We will face the criminal and administrative charges lodged against us,” the police said this morning, who also recovered firearms from the victim on the night of the incident. 

The incident took place at around 11:30 p.m. of November 25, 2013 at Sitio Otbong, Poblacion, Buruanga, Aklan. The policemen allegedly conspired with treachery and with the use of high powered firearms, with intent to kill, fired their guns and shoot to death Roderick Baco, the complaint of Eufemia stated.

At around 6 to 11 p.m. of November 24, Baco and his brother Ronil Baco and their friends Taling Biadora and Antonio Santos, Jr. were drinking in their house at Sitio Otbong in Barangay Poblacion. 

They stopped drinking and went home at 11 p.m.  The victim told his wife Eufemia to accompany his friends Biadora to the road. 

According to the complaint of Eufemia, his husband never came back until at around 11:30 to 11:45 p.m. she heard successive burst of gunfire in the vicinity.

But she did not mind and she slept expecting his husband will go home later.

The following day, Eufemia said policemen came to their house and introduced themselves as policemen from Kalibo, Aklan and told her that his husband was already dead. 

Eufemia further learned that the four PNP personnel were responsible for the killing of her husband and heard over the radio that the police admitted participation in the crime.

As this developed the administrative charges recommended by Aklan PIAS in its internal investigation will be reviewed by the regional Internal Affairs Service.