THE National Police Commission (Napolcom) yesterday said it is looking into the involvement of some police generals in the case of the missing “sabungeros” or cockfighting enthusiasts.
In a press briefing, Napolcom vice chairman and executive officer Rafael Vicente Calinisan reiterated there will be no stones unturned in the conduct of the continuing probe on the case.
Calinisan said the names of some police generals came up during their investigation. He, however, declined to name the generals, their alleged involvement in the case, and their relationship with the 12 policemen who are the subject of an administrative complaint filed by suspect-turned-whistleblower Julie Patidongan, alias Totoy.
“So you will be aware, we are investigating some generals… We came across other names that (are) still unknown to the public and we are pursuing these names until now. There will be no stones unturned,” he said.
“The instruction of the President is simple – investigate properly, no sacred cows. That is what we’re going to do,” he added.
The Napolcom has began formal proceedings against the 12 policemen based on the administrative complaint of Patidongan.
“We are just in the chapter 1, there will be chapter 2,” Calinisan said.
By chapter 1, he was referring to the ongoing proceedings against the 12 policemen.
Chapter 2 refers to the early stage of the investigation against others suspects, including the generals.
In refusing to give additional information about the ranking police officials, Calinisan explained: “If I give the relationship, then that will technically reveal their identities.”
He said they are still “solidifying our investigation” and vowed to disclose additional information once they are ready.
“Let us do our jobs peacefully, quietly and effectively,” he said, as he assured the public that “Napolcom is independent, not scared. We will not be cowed, we will not be bought, we cannot be bought and we’re going to spare no one.”
The Napolcom investigation is being conducted in coordination with the Department of Justice and other law enforcement agencies.
FORENSIC ASSISTANCE
DOJ Assistant Secretary Jose Dominic Clavano yesterday said the DOJ has sought the assistance of the University of the Philippines(UP) and the Japanese government in analyzing the remains recovered from Taal Lake by technical divers of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Patindongan has told authorities that the sabungeros, who were abducted between 2021 and 2022, have been killed and their bodies dumped at Taal Lake. The PCG has been combing the lakebed in search of the remains to validate the whistleblower’s statement.
Clavano said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla made the decision after the PNP said that it could not conduct forensic examination or DNA analysis on the recovered bones and other fragments due to lack of capacity of its forensic group.
“The secretary has acknowledged the statements of the PNP stating that the DNA forensics or the DNA analysis could not be done because of limited capacity or capability of the PNP Forensic Group. However, the secretary still believes, especially with the teeth and the hair [recovered] that it could still be subjected to DNA,” he said in mixed Filipino and English in a press briefing.
“So, we are currently asking help from the University of the Philippines Anthropology Department, as well as the Forensic Pathology Department, through Dr. Raquel Fortun. We are also asking the Japanese government for help in analyzing the remains,” he said.
Clavano said there are other means or methods of analyzing the remains, which is why the DOJ is seeking outside assistance.
“We would like to get the best experts, the best minds, the best technology for us to be able to get to the bottom of this,” he also said.
He said they expect the UP and Japanese experts would be able to provide additional information, such as how long the recovered remains have been dead.
“What we don’t have is the complete inventory of how many bones exactly were retrieved. So that’s something that we want to get as well. That can be part of the analysis of the anthropologist and the forensic pathologist because that is their expertise,” Clavano said.
He added: “We have yet to really determine how many bodies we are talking about given the remains that we have seen, given the number of bones that we have seen. So that’s something that will be very important also for us to know and determine.”
DENTAL RECORDS
Clavano said the DOJ is looking at creating a dental bank record to help identify and match the recovered remains, noting that a skull with the jaw and some teeth still intact has been retrieved.
“So, we will also start to look for dental records and create a dental bank record, if that’s what you call it, so that we can identify who are these people. We know that behind the tooth, there is an area where you can get DNA. So, even if we found dentures, it’s still possible that we can use them as DNA samples,” he said.
He said the DOJ has also sought the help of the families of the missing sabungeros in identifying some of the recovered items, such as clothes, if these belonged to their relatives.
CORPUS DELICTI
Meanwhile, Clavano stressed that even if the bodies of the missing sabungeros are not found, the criminal case for murder filed against gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang can still be proven through other evidence and circumstances.
Patidongan has claimed that Ang was the mastermind behind the abduction and killing of the cockfighters. He alleged that the businessman ordered their abduction after they were allegedly caught cheating in online “sabong” and engaging in game-fixing.
Last week, relatives of the sabungeros sued Ang for murder.
Clavano said authorities would not stop until the remains of the missing sabungeros are recovered.
“What we want is to identify the bodies, so that we can say with all certainty that they are dead. And that will make a murder complaint stronger,” he said. – With Ashzel Hachero
