DOJ indicts 3 cops in Laguna missing ‘sabungero’ case
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has found probable cause to indict three police officers for robbery and kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of a cockfight aficionado or sabungero in Laguna in August 2021.
The police officers were identified as Police Staff Sergeant Daryl Paghangaan and Patrolmen Roy Navarete and Rigel Brosas.
The DOJ investigating panel held that the three police officers have been positively identified by the relatives of the victim identified as Ricardo Lasco.
Based on the complaint of Lasco’s relatives identified as Princess Montanez, Gilda Montanez, Honey Lyn Sason and Elaine Montanez, a group of armed men allegedly barged into their residence located at CG Brion Subdivision, Barangay San Lucas in San Pablo City, Laguna, and arrested Lasco for alleged crime of large-scale estafa on August 30, 2021.
The complainants further alleged that the armed men introduced themselves as operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Aside from taking Lasco into their custody, the complainants alleged the policemen took several valuables owned by them while they were being held in the living room.
A complaint for kidnapping was initially filed against the said armed men with the Office of the City Prosecutor of San Pablo City.
However, the same was dismissed for insufficiency of evidence.
Consequently, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Special Investigation Task Group Sabungero (“CIDG SITG Sabungero”) took jurisdiction of the case and conducted further investigation and case build-up.
During its investigation, the CIDG SITG Sabungero managed to identify the armed men who are members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and believed to be involved in the case of several missing sabungeros.
The armed men were identified as Paghangaan, Navarete, Brosas, Police Lieutenant Henry Sasaluya, Police Master Sergeant Michael Claveria and several John Does.
The CIDG SITG Sabungero then filed a complaint before the DOJ. However, the panel recommended only the filing of charges against Paghangaan, Navarete and Brosas as they were the ones identified by the complainants.
“As to the rest of the respondents, the complaints against them are dismissed for lack of probable cause,” the DOJ said.
The DOJ said the case against the police officers would be filed with the Regional Trial Court of San Pablo City, Laguna.
Earlier, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla met with officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), NBI and PNP together with the families of the victims of the missing sabungeros.
During the meeting, Remulla assured the victims’ families that the DOJ, DILG, NBI and the PNP would work together for a swift investigation, resolution and prosecution of the case.