Legal battle continues for dismissed ex-crime lab chief

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

A dismissal order is not the end of the line for the former chief of the PNP Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO)-6 who gained prominence after confirming that seven of the nine leaders of an indigenous people’s group killed in a police operation in Capiz in December 2020 tested negative for gunpowder residue.

Declining a phone interview, Colonel Enrique Ancheta said that his legal counsel advised him not to talk any further.

When asked via SMS if he filed for a motion for reconsideration, Ancheta confirmed it saying, “Yes po may legal battle pa po… & I hope I’ll get justice.”

It was reported that Ancheta was dismissed from service for dishonesty and less grave misconduct.

The decision was issued by the Office of the President on March 29, 2021.

Lieutenant General Ephraim Dickson, PNP chief directorial staff, issued the dismissal order on April 28, 2021. It was signed by Major General Ferdinand Daway, chief of the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management.

Ancheta was mum on the case that caused his dismissal.

But sources said the case may have not originated during his stint in Region 6.

“You can see po anytime my track record wala pong gap ang PNP service record ko para sabihin na penalized ako any single case……. lahat po ay service related at wala maski ni isang drugs at hindi ako kasama sa narco list ng PNP dahil  lahat ng  criminal & admin cases  ko po ay dismissed na sa awa ng Dios na hurdle ko po lahat  dahil wala akong kalokohan ginawa sa PNP for  faithful 30 yrs….. ang nagawa ko lang ay ang magsabi ng totoo,” Ancheta said in a text message.

A source from Camp Crame claimed that the dishonesty case stemmed from his assignment in Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8) when he was still deputy RCLO-8 chief.

He allegedly failed to declare his pending administrative cases in his personnel data sheet (PDS).

The less grave misconduct case was filed after he was found not wearing a uniform during a surprise inspection.

“Siguro, hindi nya rin ka sundo ang RD (regional director) dun,” the source added.

While he could be liable for such charges, the source said that dismissal from service might be too much to slap against a senior officer.

To recall, Ancheta was removed as PNP-6 crime laboratory chief after he confirmed to reporters that seven of the nine leaders of an indigenous people’s group killed in a police operation in Capiz tested negative for gunpowder residue.

He was removed from his post on Jan. 20, 2021 the same day he was directed to explain his statements in an interview with a radio station a day before.

In the radio interview, Ancheta confirmed the negative paraffin test of seven of the nine leaders of the Tumandok or Panay Bukidnon tribe killed in the Dec. 30, 2020 police operation in Tapaz town in Capiz.

Ancheta said he did not reveal any information as he merely confirmed the information the radio station already has.

But Atty. Joseph Celis, National Police Commission 6 (NAPOLCOM-6 regional director, said that what Ancheta did was in violation of NAPOLCOM Memorandum Circular 2006-022.

Celis said Ancheta should not have issued a statement since the investigation is still going on.

Celis added that what he did could pre-empt the outcome of the investigation.

Sources from Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) and even RCLO-6 claimed no knowledge of the administrative cases for his dismissal.

But they believed that his statement on the Tapaz case may have hastened the handing down of the dismissal order.

 

SACKED FOR TELLING THE TRUTH?

Following Ancheta’s dismissal, cause-oriented group Pamanggas issued a statement on May 4 claiming that the move only showed that the government is allergic to telling the truth.

“Ang pagkaka-dismiss sa pwesto ni Col. Ancheta ang nagpatotoo sa mga kasinungalingang pinapabula ng PNP hinggil sa totoong nangyari noong Disyembre 30, 2020. Nahubaran ni Ancheta ang palabas ng CIDG at PNP na nanlaban ang mga Tumandok. Takot sa katotohanan at mapatunayang mamamatay tao ang institusyon ng PNP kaya’t tinatanggal nila isa-isa ang mga tumitindig sa katotohanan,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, Monsignor Meliton Oso, Executive Director of the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center (JASAC), said that what happened to Ancheta “is a prize of discipleship.”

“Sa PNP, telling the truth is a criminal offense,” he added.

 

CRIME LAB AS AN INDEPENDENT BODY

With Ancheta dismissed over allegations that he “talked too much,” there are suggestions to make Crime Laboratory/Forensic Service as an independent body.

In that way, its investigation will be independent from the PNP organization.

“Pwedeng ihiwalay na lang sana para hindi maka apekto o ma-impluwensayahan ang mga investigation and results nila as expert witnesses at ang mga forensic analysis na ginagawa nila para walang pagdu duda  ang mamamayan na ang lahat sa sinasagawang masusing pananaliksik ay patas at walang bahid na kamalian para sa  pagkuha ng katotohanan at hustisya,” a PNP source said.

It was gathered that Ancheta was hired for his technical expertise as he was an expert in assessing if a document is fake or genuine.

He was an adopted member of the Philippine National Police (PNPA) Class 1993.