SEVEN police officers from the San Jose del Monte, Bulacan police have been indicted by the Department of Justice policemen in connection with the killings of six civilians during a fabricated anti-illegal drugs operation last year.

This was after probable cause was established against the respondent-policemen during preliminary investigation conducted by a panel of DOJ prosecutors.

Charged before the Malolos, Bulacan regional trial court were PSSG Benjie D. Enconado, PSSG Irwin Joy M. Yuson, PCPL Marlon M. Martus, PCPL Edmund V. Catubay, Jr., PCPL Harvy C. Albino, PCPL Herbert L. Hernandez and PAT Rusco Virnar A. Madla.

They were assigned at the San Jose Del Monte City (Bulacan) Police Station, Intelligence Section/City Drug Enforcement Unit (“IS/CDEU”) at the time of the alleged killings.

The lawmen were charged with six counts of arbitrary detention under Article 124 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, and six counts of murder under Article 248 of the same Code.

Their indictment stemmed from “the baseless and unlawful detention, and eventual killing, of six innocent victims: Chamberlain S. Domingo, Chadwin D.R. Santos, Edmar S. Aspirin, Richard C. Salgado, Erwin N. Mergal, and Jim Joshua Cordero,” a press statement from the DOJ read.

“The filing of the charges arose from three fabricated buy-bust operations conducted by the said police officers supposedly on 14, 15, and 18 February 2020 against the victims, but in truth and in fact, no buy-bust operation was ever conducted against them,” the statement added.

Citing evidence submitted by the National Bureau of Investigation–Death
Investigation Division, a DOJ-panel of prosecutors noted that the victims were unlawfully and forcibly taken on 13 February 2020 at Towerville, Barangay Sto. Cristo, San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan.

The DOJ Panel resolved that the unsuspecting victims were taken because “they happened to pass by the area where a buy-bust operation
took place”.

“The eye-witness account of a person who was tasked to watch over the victims while they were being unlawfully detained inside the Intel Room of the IS/CDEU, and photographs depicting the victims, all blindfolded and hand-tied, among others, supported the indictment of the abovenamed police officers, ” the DOJ added.

Meanwhile, the DOJ dismissed the charges filed against 8 policemen for insufficiency of evidence.

Cleared were PMAJ Leo C. Dela Rosa, PSSG Jayson M. Legaspi, PCPL Jay Marc M. Leoncio, PCPL Constante R. Escalante, Jr., PCPL Raymond B. Bayan, PCPL Paul K. Malgapo, PCPL Randy Q. Camitoc, and PAT Erwin O. Sabido.

The DOJ is awaiting the court’s issuance of warrants of arrest against said police officers.