Cop in 'salvaging' case gives up (Sun.Star, Friday, November 09, 2007)

Cop in 'salvaging' case gives up

By Ian Ocampo Flora

GUAGUA -- In an unprecedented turn of events, the policeman who was indicted on charges of "salvaging" a robbery suspect has finally surrendered to his superiors through the mediation of local authorities.

Policeman Ponciano Manalo who was accused of salvaging Avelino Bautista, 27, who was involved in a robbery incident in an Internet shop here owned by one Vic Chu last month.

Manalo and his partner Russel Castro were the police officers who responded to the robbery case.

Castro later confessed to Inspector Onofre Asuncion, deputy chief here, the alleged summary execution of Bautista. He positively identified his buddy, PO1 Manalo, "as the one who shot to death salvage victim Bautista on the eve of October 7."

Charges of homicide and grave abuse of authority were prepared against Manalo who went on "absence without leave." Castro was also charged with homicide to enable him to qualify as a state witness.

Guagua Police Chief Wilson Santos said Manalo finally presented himself to the Guagua police. He said the suspect had surrendered through the mediation of Guagua Mayor Ricardo Rivera and Councilor Relly Manalang on Wednesday afternoon.

"The good mayor and the councilor facilitated the surrender," he said.

"Manalo is now restricted in the area of the police station," Santos said while assuring that wherever Manalo would go, he would have fellow police officers as escorts.

The Guagua police chief also assured that the cases would still follow its due course despite the fact that the suspect is a police officer.

He also said Castro had not recanted his confession. "Castro is also restricted in the vicinity of the station," Santos assured.

When asked by Sun.Star if there would be problems with the two officers meeting in one station, Santos said the situation is okay as of the moment.

The body of robbery suspect Bautista was found floating along the Masaluso River in Barangay Santo Rosario, Minalin last October 9. He was single, jobless and a resident of Purok 5 San Pedro, Guagua.

Investigation showed that when Manalo and Castro that when the two policemen reached the reported place of robbery incident last October 7, Bautista was already tied up by village folk with a nylon cord on both hands and feet.

Castro said in his confession that he and Manalo were on their way to the police station when Manalo shot Bautista in the head. Upon seeing Bautista with a bullet wound in the head, Castro, who was driving the police patrol vehicle, pulled over and disembarked.

Castro told his superiors that he had been threatened by Manalo against telling anybody about the "salvaging" of Bautista. But his conscience bothered him and decided to confess the incident.