Justice Secretary Leila de Lima talks to policemen during the
reenactment of the shooting incident in Atimonan, Quezon on Thursday. – Photo by
RENE H DILAN
MANILA: Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday said that she
believes that the January 6 incident in Atimonan, Quezon was not a shootout.
“It’s anything but a shootout ... Not a shootout, definitely,” de Lima, who earlier heard the narration of
two persons who witnesses the incident, said.
The Justice chief, along with Director Nonatus Rojas of the National
Bureau of Investigation (NBI), visited the crime scene in Atimonan on Thursday,
to gather evidence and witness a reenactment of the bloody incident that led to
the death of 13 men.
De Lima said that several people who witnessed the incident recounted
what really transpired between the law enforcers and a group reportedly headed
by Vic Siman, an alleged jueteng operator in Southern Luzon.
According to the witnesses, those who manned the checkpoint were
uniformed men and some individuals in civilian attire.
Those in uniform carried long firearms, while those in civilian clothes
held shorter firearms. One of the men in a civilian attire was the one who
ordered the attack shouting “fire, fire!” when nobody alighted from the
vehicles.
The first volley of gunfire allegedly lasted more or less 20 seconds,
after which, the man repeated his order to fire.
After the second round of gunfire, those manning the checkpoint left
the scene.
The Justice chief said that the police set up the barricades only when
the group of vehicles were approaching.
De Lima said that the witnesses seem credible and that their testimonies
led her to conclude that the incident could not possibly be a shootout.
“Very, very vital and explosive, they saw the entire incident,” de Lima
said of the statement of the witnesses who are now under the custody of the
NBI-Witness Protection Program.
“At first, they [witnesses] didn’t want to speak up, until they were
assured of their and their family’s security. They eventually agreed to tell
what they witnessed. And based on their account, their credibility was
enhanced,” the Justice secretary said.
“They are neutral and civilian. They do not have any motive to invent
what they said they had seen.”
Obstruction of justice
Meanwhile, officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said that
Supt. Hansel Marantan’s refusal to cooperate in the police fact-finding
investigation on the Atimonan shooting incident constitute an obstruction of
justice and outright insubordination.
Marantan headed the composite team of police and soldiers that figured
in the alleged shootout with a group of armed men at the checkpoint in
Atimonan, Quezon.
Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr., PNP spokesman, said that Marantan’s
noncooperation is also tantamount to withholding the truth.
“The PNP is duty-bound to provide the public with a reasonable
explanation of the actions of all police personnel involved in the incident,
Marantan included,” Cerbo said in a statement.
A man who used to work for Siman said that the shootout that happened
was because of a turf war between his former boss and Marantan’s sister, Selena
Marantan-Dinglasan.
Siman and Marantan’s sister allegedly had numerous clashes in the past
because the former was trying to dominate the turf of the latter, who
purportedly controls the jueteng operations in different towns of Laguna
province.
Cerbo said that the police are now leaving to the Department of Justice
and Investigation bureau the task of completing the criminal aspect of the
investigation for prosecution.
“Rest assured the PNP will cooperate fully with the DOJ-NBI in this
case,” he added. – The Manila Times
(With a report from Anthony Vargas)
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