THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed homicide, attempted homicide and other criminal charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against several members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) involved in the bloody shootout last February 24 in Quezon City that left four people dead and injured several others.
Charged with homicide as defined and penalized under Article 249 of the Revised Penal Code by the NBI for the death of Police Corporals (PCpl) Eric Elvin Garada were PDEA agents Khee Maricar Rodas, Jelou Satiniaman and Jeffrey Baguidudol.
On the other hand, PDEA agent Romeo Asuncion was charged with homicide for the death of PCpl Lauro de Guzman.
For the death of PDEA agent Rankin Gano, the NBI charged PCpl Alvin Borja while the NBI has yet to provide the name responsible for the death of a certain Untong Matalinas.
The NBI, likewise, filed attempted homicide charges against Satiniaman for the gunshot wounds sustained by Police Lieutenant (PLT.) Ronnie EreƱo, who is also charged along with eight policemen identified PCpls Alvin Borja, Marlon Masiclat, Ronilo Prepose, Jason CoraƱez, Aries Curit, Marco Tapanan and James Dasalla of the same offense.
EreƱo is also facing conniving or consenting to evasion as defined and penalized under Article 223 of the Revised Penal Code.
Robbery, direct assault charges and conniving to evasion were filed against Police Major Sandie Caparroso, PCpl. Paul Christian Zacarias and PLT. Honey Besas.
Earlier, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the investigation process conducted by the NBI was ātediousā that is why it took the NBI several months to finish its probe.
Part of the investigation was data gathering and examination of contents of mobile phones of the operatives involved.
The shootout which occurred outside the Ever Gotesco Mall in Commonwealth, Quezon City left four persons killed including two policemen, a PDEA agent and an informant while several others were reported injured.
Then PNP chief General Debold Sinas and PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva both claimed that their men were in the place to conduct legitimate buy-bust operations where undercover officers posed as drug buyers to capture drug dealers when the misencounter happened.
The possibility that the two government law enforcement agencies might have been played by drug syndicates was also raised following the incident.
Th DOJ said the NBI, in its complaint summarized the versions of facts by both the PNP and PDEA.
Among the pieces of evidence attached to the compalints are the sworn statements of the witnesses, the digital forensic laboratory report, the Scene of the Crime report, ballistic examination results, medico-legal reports, firearms investigation and laboratory division report, among others.
The DOJ is set to form a panel of prosecutors to conduct a preliminary investigation on the case.