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ONE of the victims in the gasoline station shootout Wednesday last week is being blamed by the families of his two companions for their deadly fate.
Diosdado Emaas, father of Gerald Emaas, said Victor “Hino” Balacutan was the one who invited his son to go to Iloilo City because work was waiting for them.
Samuel Cioco, Gerald’s brother-in-law, tagged along after he was invited by Gerald to go with him, Diosdado said.
Gerald Emaas, 25, Cioco, 28, and Balacutan were killed in a shootout with members of the Regional Intelligence Office Wednesday evening last week at the Shell gasoline station at corner Delgado-Jalandoni Streets, Iloilo City.
The three were natives of Masbate province although Balacutan had a live-in partner in Roxas City.
Balacutan’s remains were fetched from Somo Funeral Homes by a certain Shiela who claimed to be his cousin. His body was transported back to Masbate Friday evening.
Diosdado said Gerald and Cioco left Aroroy, Masbate September 12. He later learned Thursday last week that his son was shot dead in Iloilo City.
“Victor (Balacutan) called Gerald via phone. My son later told me that they will work in Iloilo City but he did not elaborate the kind of work. Victor said he will take care of the fare in going to Roxas City and Iloilo City,” Diosdado said.
Diosdado said his son was a member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu). But he did not confirm if Gerald joined the New People’s Army (NPA) before.
Diosdado added that the military issued a caliber .45 pistol to his son “but he left it in our home.”
“We did not have any information about their trip. This was Gerald’s first trip to Iloilo. We were surprised to learn that he was shot dead,” he said.
Cioco’s brother Noel said they wanted to get information from Balacutan’s family “but they left in a rush.”
Noel said Gerald asked Samuel to accompany him to Roxas City to look for work.
“Samuel said he might go to our uncle to look for work. We were surprised to learn that they were killed in Iloilo City. They did not even send a text message that they were here in Iloilo already,” Noel said.
Noel also confirmed that his sister Catherine and Gerald Emaas met and got married when they were still with the NPA.
Diosdado said they are still looking for money to pay the P30,000 they owe to the funeral parlor.
Noel said they don’t have enough money because farming is there only livelihood.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Office of the Ombudsman dismissed three Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) officials based in Iloilo City for various offenses.
Ordered dismissed from service were revenue collection officers Ma. Antonietta Tabobo and Heddan Baltazar and revenue officer Sari Umadhay.
A report posted on the Ombudsman official website detailed the circumstances leading to the dismissal of the three BIR officers.
During an internal audit of her accounts, it was found that Tabobo failed to remit her collection amounting to P564,832.091. Despite a letter of demand from the BIR, Tabobo failed to account for the unremitted funds.
Tabobo went absent without official leave (AWOL) from the BIR five years ago and is believed to be hiding in the United States.
Baltazar, who also went into hiding two years ago, was dismissed for malversation of public funds.
The Ombudsman investigation showed that Baltazar incurred cash accountabilities and unremitted collection amounting to P155,423 and documentary stamp accountabilities amounting to P5,400.
The Ombudsman also said that Baltazar had “98 sets of accountable, unused revenue official receipts with serial numbers 02538603 to 02538700 which he failed to remit.”
Umadhay was ordered dismissed for receiving P258,000 as payment for the estate and capital gains taxes of a certain Mary Lynn Franco.
Umadhay was also sacked for receiving payment for her services in processing Franco’s documents.
The Ombudsman said Umadhay violated Revenue Memorandum Order No. 15-03 which authorizes only the revenue collection officer or deputized municipal treasurer to receive payment of taxes in the absence of an authorized agent bank.
She also violated Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees) which prohibits government workers from soliciting and accepting gifts or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties.
Trio shot dead at Shell had criminal cases
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE three fatalities in the gasoline station shootout in Iloilo City proper district Wednesday evening are believed to be paid assassins, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson in Western Visayas.
Capt. Lowen Gil Marquez, chief of the 32nd Civil Relations Service (CRS) of the AFP, claimed that Samuel Cioco, Gerald Emaas and Hino Balacutan were also involved in other crimes committed in Masbate province.
Members of the Regional Intelligence Office (RIO-6) shot the trio dead at the Santos Shell gas station at the corner of Jalandoni-Delgado Streets, Iloilo City proper past 11pm Wednesday.
Marquez singled out Emaas as a former New People’s Army (NPA) member who later joined the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) in Aroroy, Masbate.
Marquez said Emaas was part of the NPA-National Democratic Front’s central front committee operating in the said island province.
Emaas earned the moniker “Kilabot ng Masbate” because of his exploits during his rebel days, Marquez added.
“He was also engaged in gunrunning and bomb making when he was still with the rebels. Upon returning to the folds of the government, he joined the Cafgu but he recently went absent without official leave. His commanding officers have been looking for him for months now and they were surprised to learn that he was shot dead in Iloilo City,” Marquez said.
The CRS chief said he also received information that Emaas may have worked as bodyguard for a politician in Masbate during his day off from the Cafgu.
“Emaas is also involved in the death of Insp. Harold Gaces of the PNP Special Action Force in Masbate,” Marquez said.
Records of the Masbate Provincial Prosecutors Office (MPPO) showed that Emaas, who also went by the aliases Alfredo Grecio and Wendell, was facing charges for robbery in band, destructive arson, murder and multiple frustrated murder.
Marquez said some of the cases date back to the time when Emaas was still with the NPA.
“All of this information on Emaas is still raw and subject for further verification. It is possible that he and his companions fled to Iloilo because of their numerous cases,” Marquez said.
Marquez said it is also possible that Emaas, Cioco and Balacutan were sent on a mission to Iloilo “but that is still under verification also.”
Cioco was tagged in robbery cases in Masbate, according to police and MPPO records.
Senior Supt. Bartolome Tobias, Iloilo City Police Office director, said they have received intelligence information that an armed group entered Iloilo City.
IN-LAWS
A statement from the NDF-Bicol issued last March 7, 2008, confirmed Emaas’s membership with the rebel group.
The statement was signed by a certain Gregorio Bañares and posted in the Philippine Revolution Web Central, the official website of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA-NDF.
The statement said Emaas, 24, of Brgy. Balete, Aroroy, Masbate was the husband of Catherine Cioco, 20, of Brgy. Mapili, Balud, Masbate. It also confirmed that Emaas was a former NPA member who later returned to mainstream society.
“When the military learned that he has surfaced, the military forced and threatened Emaas to surrender to 1st Lt. Espallardo of the 22nd Infantry Battalion-Philippine Army. Catherine Cioco is a civilian who was illegally arrested and used as a ‘human shield’ by the PNP-RMG after an encounter with the NPA in Masbate,” the NDF statement said.
Apparently, Catherine could be a sister or relative of Samuel Cioco who was killed with Emaas in the shootout.
Meanwhile, the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) was able to establish that Balacutan was from Masbate and later married a woman from Roxas City.
Identification papers recovered from Balacutan indicates his home address at Brgy. Bliss Cagay, Roxas City.
But Punong Barangay Arturo Aragon of Bliss Cagay said Balacutan did not live in their village.
Senior Supt. Tobias said they are coordinating with the Police Regional Office-5 and Capiz Provincial Police Office to further verify the backgrounds of Cioco and Balacutan.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE National Police Commission (Napolcom-6) and the Police Regional Office (PRO-6) will look into the shootout in a Shell gasoline station at Jalandoni-Delgado Streets, Iloilo City Wednesday evening to find out if members of the Regional Intelligence Office observed rules of engagement.
Chief Supt. Darius Tuazon, PRO-6 deputy director for administration, said he ordered the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division (RIDMD) to investigate the incident following claims of overkill in the shootout.
Tuazon said they will also investigate the identities of Samuel Cioco, Gerald Emaas and Hino Balacutan who died in a hail of bullets from six RIO operatives led by Supt. Samuel Nacion.
Napolcom-6 regional director Honey Paredes said they will conduct a separate investigation on the incident to find out if it was a legitimate shootout or rubout.
Paredes said she will summon the RIO personnel involved in the shootout and ask their version of the incident.
The Napolcom chief said they will also try to determine if RIO-6 members used reasonable force in neutralizing the trio.
Paredes said it is important for the police to follow PNP rules of engagement to avoid human rights violations and other legal complications.
“We are just waiting for the official report of the PNP before we can start the investigation,” Paredes said.
A video footage by GMA TV-6 Iloilo showed RIO-6 operatives shooting the victims even if they were already lying still on the pavement. This particular scene prompted some media practitioners present to claim that it was overkill.
Recoveries from the scene of the incident indicate that the trio was outgunned with RIO operatives firing more than 40 bullets of caliber .9mm and .45 pistols.
Supt. Nacion said they used reasonable force against Cioco, Esmaa and Balacutan because the three were armed with guns and a grenade.
Nacion said one of three fatalities shot him first, prompting his fellow officers to retaliate.
Nonoy (not his real name), the gas station cashier on duty when the shootout happened, said he saw Cioco and company pass by the station.
Nonoy said he was later surprised to hear gunshots near the gas station’s coffee shop, prompting him to leave his booth and run for cover.
Senior Supt. Bartolome Tobias, Iloilo City police director, defended RIO operatives and denied that the incident was a rubout.
Tobias said the three were armed with guns and grenades “which can only indicate that they are to something sinister.”
“We consider what happened as a major accomplishment against crime. In fairness to RIO-6, they have been helping the Iloilo City Police Office in our anti-crime drive after the spate of violent incidents in the city. I don’t think it was a rubout because the three were considered armed and dangerous,” Tobias said.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Iloilo City Prosecutors Office (ICPO) has resolved more than 800 backlog cases since December 2007.
Iloilo City chief prosecutor Peter Baliao said decongesting the ICPO dockets is one of the reforms he introduced since assuming his post in acting capacity last year.
Baliao was appointed full-fledged chief city prosecutor last month. He said President Gloria Arroyo signed his appointment paper August 20 but he only received a copy Wednesday.
“Speedy resolution of cases is our number one priority right now. From more or less 900 unresolved cases last year, our backlog is now only less 100 cases,” he said.
Aside from decreasing the case backlogs, Baliao said he is beefing up the ICPO manpower, particularly the prosecutors.
Three new prosecutors were recently assigned to the ICPO, bringing the total number of city prosecutors to 18 including Baliao.
“I am requesting from the Department of Justice (DOJ) two more prosecutors so we can resolve cases at the fastest possible time and also to attend to our court hearings and inquests,” he said.
The ICPO has also acquired additional computers, copiers and a risograph.
Baliao said he is also requesting additional filing cabinets and a new air-conditioning system for their office.
Baliao took over from then city prosecutor Efrain Baldago late last year when the latter was ordered dismissed by the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC).
Baldago refused to relinquish his post to Baliao saying he can still appeal the PAGC decision. He also denied mulcting a certain Jose Demonteverde for a favorable resolution of the latter’s case filed with the ICPO.
But DOJ Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. ordered Baldago to leave the ICPO and report to the Regional State Prosecutor’s Office pending appeal of the PAGC case.
Despite the “power struggle,” Baliao said his relationship with other prosecutors remains cordial and civil.
“Our main objective is to serve the interest of justice and public welfare,” he said.
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