Four Years....and Waiting

I just received news that The Ombudsman has "finally filed" for the charges against 5 cops from the TMG unit who killed FX. It took four years to file. I'm happy it finally got filed. But... four years?! It takes that long to be logical?! You can watch the video and file the case on the same day.

While we're at it, what's up with the other cops from that same group who got promotions? They're part of this brutal murder too.

Let's speed this up, Philippines! Show the rest of us how justice works in the Philippines, if there's any. Justify your jobs and for your reason of serving this country! The world is now watching you and blogging about it.


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Charges filed vs cops in Ortigas shootout

By Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 18:20:00 08/21/2009

Filed Under: Crime and Law and Justice, Police

Manila, Philippines--The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the filing of homicide charges against five members of the PNP Traffic Management Group- Task Force “Limbas” for the death of three civilians during a shootout in Ortigas in 2005.

Charges were filed before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court.

Slapped with three counts of homicide are Senior Inspectors Hansel Marantan and Samson Belmonte, PO3 Rizalito SM Ramos Jr., PO3 Lloyd Soria, and PO2 Dexter Bernadas for the death of Anton Cu-Unjieng, Brian Anthony Dulay and Francis Xavier Manzano on Nov. 7, 2005.

At around 10:40 pm of the said date, the three victims were on board a Maroon Nissan Exalta 2002 model (XDD 828) and were traversing Garnet Street in Ortigas when they were flagged down by a police patrol car for allegedly committing a traffic violation.

When they failed to stop, they were chased and overtaken by another group of TMG operatives in civilian clothes on board a silver gray Toyota Revo led by Marantan.

Marantan’s group alighted from their vehicle and opened fire at the victims’ vehicle, driven by Dulay.

Police officers involved said the shoot-out was a legitimate police operation. They also invoked self-defense in justifying the shooting saying the occupants fired first, hitting Belmonte on his right lower leg, prompting them to fire back.

This was however belied by the Forensic Case Review of Forensic Pathologist Dr. Raquel Del Rosario-Fortun, which states that Mr. Belmonte’s wounds “were self-inflicted and probably accidental”.

Meanwhile, the Ombudsman, in its resolution said self-defense is evidentiary in nature and best addressed to the trial court for its appreciation.

The Resolution also noted that there was nothing on record that would provide sufficient basis that the respondents took advantage of their superior strength or that they prolonged the suffering of the victims.