PNP welcomes probe on Bocala’s death

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Bring it on!

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Sunday that it welcomes any investigation on the death of Reynaldo Bocala, a peace consultant of the National Democratic Front (NDF).

Reynaldo Bocala, 74, and Welly Epago, 61, were killed after they allegedly resisted joint police and military troopers in a house at Block 71, Lot 49, Village 3 of Providence Subdivision at Barangay Balabag, Pavia, Iloilo.

In a statement, PNP chief General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar said that “it is within the rights of Bocala’s relatives and colleagues to seek an independent investigation.”

Human rights group Karapatan has called for an independent probe on the incident, claiming that Bocala should still be under the protection of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).

“If they want an independent probe, so be it. Bukas po ang PNP doon. Pero gaya ng sa ibang kaso, papasok ang Internal Affairs Service dito para magsagawa ng motu propio investigation upang alamin kung may pagkukulang ang mga operatiba kaya humantong sa pagkamatay ng suspek,” Eleazar said.

Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Western Visayas and Police Regional Office 6, together with military personnel, served at least four arrest warrants against Bocala, head of the New People’s Army (NPA)’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay (KR-P)’s Regional Taxation Implementing Group (RTIG)/Finance Officer.

Bocala is the husband of Maria Concepcion “Concha” Bocala, who is in the list of terrorists released recently by the Anti-Terrorism Council.

Concha is considered the highest ranking CPP-NPA leader in Panay.

“With the termination of peace negotiations with the CPP/NPA/NDF, this JASIG can no longer be invoked. This guarantee of immunity from arrest is an act of good faith and confidence-building measure in the peace negotiations between the government and the CPP/NPA/NDF,” Eleazar said.

“Kasama nga dito iyong pagpapalaya sa mga dating nakakulong na NDF negotiators at consultants na ngayon ay nagsipagtago na matapos kanselahin ng Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte ang peace talks pati na ang JASIG,” he added.

President Duterte shelved the peace talks and terminated the JASIG in February 2017.

Meanwhile, Eleazar took exception to fresh allegations that police operatives planted evidence on Bocala.

He stressed that police only wanted to implement the arrest warrants against him.

“Ang pagtatanim ng ebidensya ay lagi nang paratang sa ating kapulisan kahit gaano pa ka-lehitimo ang mga operasyon. In this case, our policemen served arrest warrants against Bocala but Bocala and his companion resisted. Hindi naman pwedeng tumayo lang doon ang mga operatiba at hindi man lang proteksyunan ang kanilang mga sarili kung ganoong, ayon sa inisyal na report, ay naging agresibo ang suspek,” he said.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Western Visayas, which led the operation, said Welly Epago, Bocala’s companion who was also killed during the shootout, resisted by firing a gun at a police operative.

“Tumama yung bala sa tyan n’ya sana. Buti na lang naka-bullet proof vest siya,” Lieutenant Colonel Gervacio Balmaceda, CIDG-6 regional director, said.

Balmaceda insisted that they were there to arrest the suspect.

“But given na lumaban sila, we have no choice but to defend ourselves,” he said.

Balmaceda said they have not received any report of a formal complaint against them.

“But we already expect that some groups would raise an issue about what happened,” he said.

But Balmaceda said they were informed that the Regional Internal Affairs Service 6 (RIAS-6) would conduct a motu proprio investigation.

RIAS automatically conducts motu proprio (on its own) probes if police personnel fire their guns in an operation.

In this case, RIAS-6 said that Chief Master Sergeant Dennis Melancio of Iloilo Provincial IAS will conduct the probe under Reference No. R6E-MPI2- 2021-004.

Colonel Roger James Brillantes, PNP RIAS-6 chief, said the investigation report will be submitted after the probe.