By Jennifer P. Rendon
Territorial forces, or local cops, appeared to have engaged the nine persons who died during the simultaneous serving of search warrants in Tapaz, Capiz on December 30, 2020.
This was according to the after-operation report submitted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Region (CIDG)-6 to the Regional Internal Affairs Service (RIAS).
CIDG-6 was the lead unit that implemented 28 search warrants for violation of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) and RA 9516 (Illegal Possession of Explosives) in Tapaz and in Calinog, Iloilo.
Apart from the nine subjects who died during police operations, 16 persons were arrested: with 6 in Calinog and 10 in Tapaz.
The CIDG-6 submitted the after-operation report on January 8, 2021 to commence the conduct of motu proprio (by its initiative) probe by RIAS-6.
Aside from CIDG-6, other participants in the operations were personnel of the CIDG offices in the National Capital Region and Region 4–A; Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6 (RFMB-6); Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO); Capiz Police Provincial Office (CPPO); and Regional Intelligence Unit 6 (RIU-6).
By territorial force, Colonel Roger James Brillantes, PNP RIAS-6 chief, said that the CIDG-6 reports indicated that personnel from “here” were involved in engaging the subjects.
Brillantes said he has yet to go through with the names of the officers who were involved in the serving of arrest warrants.
Based on the documents submitted by CIDG-6, “may mga team leaders na nakalagay and who engaged sa mismong encounter – territorial forces natin dito. They are composite teams,” he said.
Brillantes said Atty. Samson Go and Lieutenant Colonel Erwin Margarejo, Capiz Provincial IAS chief, will evaluate the documents submitted.
“We will determine if the rules of engagement were followed, and so are guidelines in the police operational procedures,” he said.
Brillantes said they already discussed to finish the case evaluation as soon as possible. But for now, they received no complaints or statements coming from the families of the nine slain subjects.
“We’re still waiting for their presence. In fact, we are encouraging and appealing to them to freely come to the office,” he said.
Last week, RIAS-6 announced that it will investigate on the events surrounding the bloody search operations in Tapaz town.
Brillantes said a motu proprio investigation was initiated because the police officers were involved in firearm discharge.
While the Dec 30, 2020 raids were conducted in both Calinog (2 barangays) and Tapaz (7 barangays), the investigation will focus in the Tapaz raids where nine persons died during police operations.
The encounter led to the deaths of Roy Giganto, Reynaldo Katipunan and Mario Aguirre of Barangay Lahug; Maurito Diaz, Sr. of Barangay Tacayan; Eliseo Gayas, Jr. of Barangay Aglinab; Artilito Katipunan of Barangay Acuña; Joemar Vidal of Barangay Daan Sur; and Garson Catamin and Rolando Diaz of Barangay Nayawan.
Their families had earlier asserted that they offered no resistance and were killed point blank.
If investigation would show that there were violations in the PNP, Brillantes said they would not hesitate to file charges.
He also assured the public that there would be no whitewashing in the investigation.
