Arrest warrants were issued for the 13 police officers charged with multiple murder for the Atimonan shooting incident last January by a regional trial court in Gumaca, Quezon on Friday, September 20.
Judge Maria Chona Pulgar-Navarro of Quezon RTC Branch 61 ordered the arrest of former CALABARZON police deputy intelligence head Hansel Marantan and 12 other policemen.
No bail was recommended.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed charges against the policemen on Thursday, affirming the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that the joint checkpoint operation last January 6 in Atimonan, Quezon which left 13 people dead, was a rubout and not a shootout, as claimed by Marantan’s group.
Along with Marantan, the following police officers were charged with multiple counts of murder:
C/Insp Grant Gollod
S/Insp John Paolo Carracedo
S/Insp Timoteo Orig
SPO3 Joselito De Guzman
SPO1 Carlo Cataquiz
SPO1 Arturo Sarmiento
PO3 Eduardo Oronan
PO2 Nelson Indal
PO2 Al BhazarJailani
PO1 Wryan Sardea
PO1 Rodel Talento
Meanwhile, charges against CALABARZON Police chief, C/Supt. James Andres Melad, were dropped.
The DOJ also dismissed charges against Lt. Col Monico Abang and 10 other members of the Army Special Forces Battalion.
A separate case of obstruction of justice was filed against S/Insp. Carracedo and Lt. Rico Tagure. Carracedo was said to have fired at the victims, using their own firearms, when they were already dead to make it appear the incident was a shootout.
