Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 20) — A Department of Justice (DOJ) panel is set to file murder and frustrated murder charges against nine police personnel for the death of Calbayog City mayor Ronaldo Aquino and three other persons.
In a statement on Thursday, the DOJ said the panel will file the criminal information for four counts of murder and one count of frustrated murder at the Regional Trial Court of Calbayog against the following:
PLTCOL. Harry Villar Sucayre, Team Leader, Philippine National Police–Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP–IMEG)
PMAJ Shyrile Co Tan
PCAPT Dino Laurente Goles
PLT Julio Salcedo Armeza, Jr.
PSSg Neil Matarum Cebu
PSSg Edsel Tan Omega
Pat Niño Cuadra Salem
PCpl Julius Udtujan Garcia
PSSg Randy Caones Merelos, and several John Does
In its preliminary investigation, the panel found that the officers ambushed the mayor on March 8, 2021 at the Labuyao Bridge in Calbayog City, Samar.
Aquino and two of his aides — security escort PSSg Rodeo B. Sario and driver Dennis Abayon — as well as a civilian identified as Clint John Paul Yauder, were killed in the incident.
The DOJ said another security aide was able to survive after receiving timely medical attention.
The panel also determined that the group’s defense of “denial, alibi and self-defense” held no weight due to the statements of witnesses and pieces of evidence collated by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). The policemen earlier maintained that it was Aquino’s men who fired first.
The DOJ also mentioned the dismissal of murder and grave threats cases against Ronald Mark Aquino, the late mayor’s son.
The NBI earlier filed murder charges against the nine police personnel before the DOJ turned the case over to a panel of prosecutors.
