CRIMINAL complaints were filed on Monday before the Office of the City Prosecutor-Marikina City by relatives and friends of two alleged victims of an extrajudicial killing that they attributed to a policeman, who has since been relieved of duty.
Charges of murder, frustrated murder and planting of evidence were filed against Cpl. Herjonner Soller, a relieved intelligence personnel of the Marikina City Police, after he shot Lauro “Junjun” Lagarde, 22, and Kim Lester Ramos, 23, a construction worker.
Lagarde survived the attack with a bullet wound in the stomach by faking death, while Ramos died after being shot in the back of his head.
The family members of Lagarde and Ramos, accompanied by friends and subdivision members, filed the complaints against Soller with the assistance of lawyers from the Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services Inc. (IDEALS Inc.).
The complaints, filed by Ramos’s father, Norman, and the family members of Lagarde, were supported by affidavits of at least seven witnesses, according to lawyers assisting them.
A support group called “Laban Junjun Para Kay Kim!” was organized in support of the victims and their families.
Lawyers from the IDEALS said Soller allegedly shot Ramos and Lagarde at around 6:30 a.m. on October 5 in Marikina City after accusing the two of being drug addicts.
The relieved policeman claimed the victims tried to grab his gun, resulting in a scuffle.
“Lagarde was hit in the stomach and played dead until people arrived on scene. Ramos, who had fled after seeing Soller shoot his friend, died immediately after the cop fired a single bullet into the back of his skull,” IDEALS said.
The legal assistance group also belied the claims of the Marikina City Police that Ramos may have been involved in cases of holdups, a position that was supported by the victims’ neighbors, community members and the local parish.
An hour before the shooting, the victims were sitting on a side street in front of a restaurant when Soller, who was passing by on board a motorcycle, stopped and shouted at them to stop using illegal drugs.
The two caught up with the policeman later at an intersection at Mountain View Subdivision, and asked him why he had called them drug addicts.
According to Lagarde, Soller took out his gun and pointed it at Lagarde’s chest, but the victim shoved him and the gun fired, hitting his stomach. He fell and feigned death.
Seeing this, Ramos ran away, but Lagarde, who opened his eyes briefly, saw the policemen allegedly shot Ramos, hitting him in the back of the head.
Lagarde continued to fake death until neighbors began arriving, but they were shooed away by Soller.