Checkpoint team told to cooperate
Malaca ang yesterday called on the police, soldiers and others involved in the Atimonan shooting incident to cooperate in the investigation rather than criticize Justice Secretary Leila de Lima without basis.
“Maybe these are just peripheral issues, that they are disgruntled because Secretary De Lima (was present during the reenactment). There are more important
and more pressing issues that the investigation is focusing on and perhaps, we should all focus on what the main event is and not the peripherals because we can see that they are questioning the presence of the secretary of justice at the site, at the investigation, etcetera,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over radio dzRB.
Valte said the police of- ficers involved, particularly Superintendent Hansel Marantan, could not question the presence and involvement of De Lima in the investigation because the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was under her department.
Asked about the alleged demoralization on the ranks of operatives who claimed to be just doing their job, Valte said “the best avenue to thresh out these statements will be in the investigation.”
“While we have an open media and it is their right to talk to our fellows in the media, it will be better if they will just speak with the investigators,” she said.
Valte said all angles would be looked into, including reports that the incident was a result of a jueteng turf war.
President Aquino is expected to receive the NBI’s report before he leaves for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday,
So far, Valte said the President has only the PNP fact- finding report.
De Lima, on the other hand, stressed that they have no reason to doubt the credibility of the witnesses and their story.
“Their account of the incident negates or debunks the operatives’/soldiers’ claim of shootout. Our witnesses’ credibility was even enhanced in the course of the reenactment when they provided further details as they narrated what they saw,” she said.
“May I also point out that some media reportage of the reenactment did not reflect the correct details, (which) will be embodied in the NBI report and in an animated computer graphics that the NBI is producing based on the eyewitnesses’ account and other evidence (physical, forensic, etc.),” she added.
De Lima said that the NBI is “exerting best efforts” to submit its report before the President leaves for Switzerland.
NBI Director Nonnatus Caesar Rojas, for his part, ordered his men to work overtime on the case but declined to state when the final report would come out.
He also denied that the Wednesday deadline was selfimposed by the NBI but it plans to submit all their findings and recommendations by next week.
Rojas also said he would personally update De Lima on the progress they have done in their investigation.
He said they are still waiting for some of the affidavits of the other PNP and the military personnel involved in the alleged shootout.
A source said not everyone has submitted an affidavit.