9 policemen including an officer were relieved from their post in relation to Tanauan incident

Miami
May 27, 2008
Story: 9 policemen including an officer were relieved from their post in relation to Tanauan incident

Nine policemen including an officer, all from Batangas Provincial police Office has been relieved from their post starting May 27, 2008.

Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, Philippine National Police (PNP) Spokesperson has confirmed that, “PNP Chief Avelino Razon ordered an administrative relieve to those who were involved in the encounter in Tanauan City Batangas” last May 21 and 22, 2008.

The incident lead to the killing of four suspected criminals. The Regional Police Provincial Office 4A still doing their cross-matching examination if the four are also responsible on the RCBC Cabuyao massacre.

Bartolome identified P/Supt. Gilbert Sauro as one of the policemen who will be relieved. Sauro is the Provincial Intelligence Branch and Special Operations Group of Batangas Police Provincial Office. The eight others were not yet been identified. The policemen will be staying in Region 4A Regional headquarters in Camp Vicenete Lim in Laguna as long as the investigation is not yet done.

Bartolome said this is their response to the call of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) who first ask for the preventive suspension of those who were involved in the incident.

Bartolome explained why they cannot suspend yet the 9 policemen who were relived from their post, “Once the investigation is initiated and charges will be filed appropriately that is the time for the preventive suspension will be in effect. Right now the investigation is not yet being concluded, no charges yet, still in the process of evaluating evidences and testimonies and other related matters pertaining to this investigation.”

Meanwhile, the PNP is also conducting their own probe on the Tanauan incident. Police Director Jefferson Soriano of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) was tasked to do its own investigation. He put up a special investigation team that will lead by Deputy Director of DIDM Chief Supt Rodolfo Mendoza and will be assisted by Director of Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) Chief Supt. Raul Castaneda, Human Rights affairs office (HRAO) , Crime Laboratory, and the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division of CALABARZON.

Meanwhile, Bartolome said what happened in Tanauan, “is part of anti-criminality campaign of Region 4A. They are also determining whether the suspects accounted in Tanauan incident have something to do with RCBC robbery.”

Though the Region 4A SOCO still doing a cross-matching examination on the four suspected criminals if they are involved in RCBC, Bartolome said if involvement of other criminality, the four that were killed were indeed members of local criminal syndicate.