THE Department of Justice (DOJ) panel of prosecutors are set to file charges in court against the nine police officers said to be involved in the ambush and killing of Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino and three others last March 2021.
This came after the DOJ panel of prosecutors concluded their preliminary investigation on the consolidated cases of the policemen involved in the incident.
In the information released by the DOJ, the Prosecutor General already ordered the filing of charges after finding probable cause against the policemen.
Among the charges to be filed at the Calbayog City Regional Trial Court are four counts of murder and one count of frustrated murder
Among those included in the filing of charges are PLt. Col. Harry Sucayre, Team Leader, Philippine National Police–Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP–IMEG), plus eight others: PMaj. Shyrile Tan, PCapt. Dino Goles, PLt. Julio Armeza, Jr., PSsgt. Neil Cebu, PSgt. Edsel Omega, Patrolman Niño Salem, PCpl. Julius Garcia, PSsgt. Randy Merelos, and a host of John Does.
According to the DOJ, the testimonies of the witnesses and the evidence collected by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) bore weight in the case that merited the filing of charges against the policemen.
It can be recalled that aside from Mayor Aquino, three others were killed in the ambush while a bodyguard of the mayor was wounded.