PNP insists the incident in Tanauan is shootout and not rubout

Miami
May 26, 2008
Story: PNP insists the incident in Tanauan is shootout and not rubout

The Philippine National Police insists that the shooting incident happened in Tanauan City is a shootout and not a rubout.

As Sr. Supt. Aaron Fidel, Deputy Regional Director for Operations in Police Regional Office of Region 4A CALABARZON (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) told the media last Friday in a conference that what happened is a shootout.

Fidel said that it is the suspects who first fired their gun to the policemen who went in the area. The reason why the police are there is because of the intensified campaign of the PNP in Region 4A against the criminality in the area that coincides in looking for the suspects in RCBC bank massacre in Cabuyao, Laguna last May 16.

He also insists that the police were in defensive position.

As of this moment, the four killed in Tanauan are not yet confirmed if they were part of the group who robbed RCBC. The SOCO will have to examined the firearms recovered at the area for cross matching and ballistic examination.

The Commission on Human Rights has expressed their desire that they will investigate the incident in Tanuan City. Based on their initial investigation the incident was a rubout.

“Pepit Magsino who was killed in the first encounter just attended a baptismal event and was shot to death by 40 to 50 PNP personnel who went on their area. There was no encounter really,” Marie Cruz said, CHR media officer said.

But she admitted that they still do not have formal or written affidavit because their witnesses are starting to be afraid on giving any statement. “We are encouraging the witnesses to give their full confidence on us,” Cruz added with regards to their witnesses.

Cruz also said that those they were interviewed are residents living at the barangay pagaspas and barangay 4 both in Tanauan City of Batangas.

The PNP on the other hand said they welcome the investigation that the CHR will do. Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, PNP Spokesman said, “Over the weekend, PNP Chief Avelino Razon directed the Task Force RCBC and Region 4a to cooperate with the investigation that will be conducted by the commission on human rights. This to ensure that all personnel will be made available in connection with this investigation.”

The PNP believe that they are nothing to hide s far as the investigation is concern.

Batangas Provincial Director Sr. Supt. David Quimio also said that he welcome the investigation of the CHR, “That is part of their job, but if they will check the background of those who got killed in the shootout, they have many cases of robbery, hold-up and kidnapping in batangas.”

Quimio also appealed to the CHR to interview other people not only those at the barangay Pagaspas and 4 but also outside of it to really know the background of the suspected criminals.

The CHR has recommendation for the Chief PNP. The CHR want the PNP to give them the list of those who were involved on the operation in Tanauan City to know if the head of the Task Force RCBC (Sr. Supt. Aaron Fidel) were present or not.

The CHR also wants a copy of “after operation” report of the Task Force also the SOCO report if they were available already. Also the CHR wants a preventive suspension on those who were involved in the shooting incident.