THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has recommended the filing of four counts of murder and one count of frustrated murder charges against nine police officers in connection with the death Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino and four others in an ambush in Barangay Lonou, Tinambacan District, Calbayog early last year.
The filing of the charges was recommended by a panel of prosecutors who found probable cause in the preliminary investigation of the case to indict the policemen before the trial court.
Facing trial for murder and frustrated murder are Police Lieutenant Colonel (PLt. Col. Harry Villar Sucayre, team leader of the Philippine National Police–Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP–IMEG) and Police Major Shyrile Co Tan, Police Capt. Dino Laurente Goles, Police Lieutenant Julio Salcedo Armeza Jr., Police Staff Sergeant (PSSg.) Neil Matarum Cebu, PSSg. Edsel Tan Omega, Patrolman Niño Cuadra Salem, Police Corporal Julius Udtujan Garcia and PSSg. Randy Caones Merelos, and several John Does.
Aside from Aquino, also killed were his security escort identified as PSSg. Rodeo B. Sario, driver Dennis Abayon and passerby Clint John Paul Yauder. Another aide identified as Mansfield F. Labonite survived.
In the joint resolution dated December 15, 2021 but released on January 19, the panel said that on March 8, 2021, Aquino and his aides were ambushed by the respondent-PNP personnel in Labuyao Bridge, Calbayog City.
“In the decision to file charges for murder and frustrated murder against the respondents-PNP personnel, the Panel determined that the defenses of denial, alibi and self-defense, interposed by the respondents-PNP personnel, cannot be given weight in light of the positive assertions of the witnesses and the pieces of evidence submitted by the National Bureau of Investigation,” DOJ said.
As a consequence, the panel dismissed the counter-charges for murder, frustrated murder, and attempted murder filed against the mayor’s son Ronald Mark Aquino and Police Corporal Ramil A. Rosales .
Also dismissed was the complaint against Ronald for grave threats.
The charges against the said policemen will be filed before the Regional Trial Court of Calbayog City.