Police Chief Oscar Albayalde on Monday appealed to former party-list lawmakers and others with a warrant of arrest against them to surrender.
He appealed to former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, former Gabriela Women’s Party Congressman and now National Anti-Poverty Commission lead convenor Liza Maza, former Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño, former Anakpawis Congressman and former Agrarian Reform secretary Rafael Mariano, Vicente Cayetano, Delfin Pimentel, and Emeterio Antalan “to just turn themselves in and to submit themselves to judicial processes.”
Albayalde said the police had already received a copy of the arrest warrants issued by Judge Evelyn Atienza Turla of Regional Trial Court Branch 40 of Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, against them.
They were indicted for the abduction and killing of Danilo Felipe in 2001, Jimmy Peralta in 2003, and Carlito Bayudang in 2004.
Felipe, Peralta, and Bayudang were reportedly supporters of rival Akbayan party-list candidates.
Albayalde said he ordered the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group last weekend “to immediately send out arresting teams to serve the warrant of arrest.”
“The PNP is duty-bound to implement the orders of judicial authorities,” he said.
“That is our constitutional mandate that law enforcers must abide by the human rights and the dignity of the accused.”
Malacañang on Friday distanced itself from the decision of the Nueva Ecija court to issue arrest warrants against the four former party-list lawmakers for murder.
“The matter is still with the Regional Trial Court. The Palace will continue to respect the independence of our courts,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said.