Cops exonerated in ‘deadly’ checkpoint

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Four police officers charged for the death of a motorist in a checkpoint last year were exonerated of administrative liabilities.

Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, Western Visayas police chief, said he concurred with the recommendation of the Regional Internal Affairs Service 6 (RIAS-6) to dismiss the grave misconduct charge against four members of the 2nd Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company based in Barangay Zerrudo, Sara town.

Exonerated were Patrolman Christopher Paclibar, Corporal John Michael Parcia, and Corporal Alfredo Bartulo, and their direct superior Lieutenant Colonel Mario Baquiran.

The four were charged for the death of Adonis Honteveros Jr., 26, of Barangay Pinantan Elizalde, Ajuy, on the evening of Sept 23, 2019.

Pamuspusan said the decision went through the Committee on the Disposition of Administrative Cases (CDAC), which also concurred with the RIAS-6 recommendation.

“They noted that our policemen followed the police operational procedures of the PNP. That’s why, there is basis for them to be acquitted,” he said.

Pamuspusan said he already signed the decision.

“I think there’s no reason for them to be found guilty because they followed the existing guidelines in the conduct of checkpoints,” he said.

 

RECONSIDERATION

But according to lawyer Mayen Mar Gulmatico, counsel for the Honteveros family, they would file a motion for reconsideration.

Baquiran earlier claimed that his three subordinate cops were manning a checkpoint when they allegedly saw Honteveros, who drove a motorcycle, suddenly made a U-turn instead of pulling over to be inspected.

Honteveros’s action prompted Paclibar to shoot the victim but missed.

Parcia and Bartulo then shot the victim who was hit on the back.

While the police insisted that Honteveros was killed after he evaded the checkpoint, his companions claimed that there was no checkpoint during the incident.

Rufino Billones claimed that he brought his sick father to Sara District Hospital. Honteveros and a 17-year-old went with Billones to help.

Billones said his father and mother went with him on the motorcycle while his brother drove the other motorcycle.

His father stayed at the hospital with his mother and brother while Billones, Honteveros, and the teenager decided to go home before 11 p.m.

Honteveros then refueled his motorcycle at a gasoline station in Sara while Billones waited for him.

When they proceeded home, they noticed a top-down tricycle ahead of them. The tricycle then allegedly went inside the 2nd IPMFC headquarters.

Billones said they already drove past the police headquarters when they decided to turn back to buy ice from a store located near the IPMFC headquarters.

Billones said Honteveros and the teenager drove ahead of him. When he passed by the headquarters, a policewoman in uniform allegedly flagged him, prompting him to stop.

But he insisted that there was no checkpoint.

Honteveros also stopped after he was flagged down by two policemen in civilian clothes.

Shortly later, he heard gunfire while the policewoman told him to stay. The teenager, on the other hand, claimed three men flagged them down.

Honteveros stopped because they were already in front of the store. He allegedly saw one of the cops pull a gun, prompting him to scamper inside the store.

The teenager claimed that the two cops poked a gun at Honteveros before he heard gunfire. He claimed to have not heard of any discussion or argument before the gunfire incident erupted.

Meanwhile, a resident claimed he heard gunfire around 11 p.m. When he went out to check the area, he saw the bloodied Honteveros on the ground.

He thought that an accident happened, which prompted him to ask for help from the police headquarters. When he arrived, he saw a motorcycle being held in the area.

He then asked for help but he was told that they would call for an ambulance.

The Sara police patrol car took the victim to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

The resident claimed he did not see any gun near Honteveros’s body.

But a scene of the crime report indicated that a gun was recovered in the area.