The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from service of a Manila Police District operative for shooting to death a 23-year-old epileptic man in an anti-drug operation in 2017.
Ombudsman Samuel Martires approved a joint resolution of the fact-finding team that PO3 Gerry Geñalope was liable for grave misconduct, and that he must be dismissed from public service, “including cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification to hold public office.”
He also ordered that an information for murder be filed against the police officer for the death of Djastin Lopez.
“Clearly, PO3 Geñalope perpetrated said acts with treachery,” he said.
The order was signed last Feb. 28 but a copy of it was released just yesterday.
The Ombudsman, however, junked the complaint against Sr. Insp. Jojo Salanguit of the MPD Station 7 for lack of merit.
“It is, thus, recommended that a fact-finding investigation be conducted by the Field Investigation Bureau of this Office, to determine whether the May 18, 2017 [operation] was a legitimate police operation, what violations were committed, if any, and who are the personalities involved,” the resolution read.
In September 2017, Lopez’s mother Normita filed criminal and administrative complaints against Geñalope, Salanguit and several unidentified policemen with the Ombudsman.
An initial police report of Lopez’s death implicated him in the killing of one Michael Turla Pangalinan on May 13, 2017.
But a May 14, 2017 report filed with the MPD’s Crime Investigation and Detection Group did not include Lopez on the list of the suspected killers of Pangalinan.
In a June 9, 2017 progress report, the MPD claimed Lopez was killed in a buy-bust operation in Tondo, Manila on May 18, 2017.
Geñalope earlier told the Ombudsman that Lopez’s death was a case of “nanlaban.”
The Ombudsman said eyewitness saw Djastin raising his hand to plead for his life, but Geñalope still pursued and killed him.