The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed homicide charges before the regional trial court against three agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), in connection with the February 24, 2021 “misencounter” with members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Quezon City where three law enforcers died.
The DOJ through Prosecution Attorney Cheyenne Amayma P. Yu, disclosed on Friday that the DOJ filed the homicide case against the three PDEA agents before Quezon City RTC, Branch 83 last May 23.
“The Information (criminal charge sheet) for the homicide case was already filed with the RTC Quezon City Branch 83,” said Yu, who is the press liaison officer of the DOJ-Office of the Prosecutor General.
The accused were PDEA agents Khee Maricar Rodas, Jeffrey Baguidudol, and Jelou Satiniaman. They were accused in the deaths of PDEA agent Rankin Gano and PNP members P/Cpl. Eric Elvin Garado and P/Cpl. Lauro De Guzman.
The DOJ’s panel of prosecutors has yet to file in court the direct assault charges against policemen P/Maj. Sandie Caparroso, P/Lt. Honey Besas, P/SMsg. Melvin Merida, and P/Cpl. Paul Christian Gandeza.
“The affidavits of witnesses, and the admissions of respondents during the clarificatory hearing, identify P/Cpl. Gandeza, P/Lt. Besas, P/Maj. Caparroso and P/SMsg. Merida as the assailants. Hence, there is probable cause to charge them for Direct Assault for the injuries sustained by the PDEA responders,” the DOJ said.
The resolution of the DOJ’s panel of prosecutors was issued after the preliminary investigation on the complaints separately filed by the PDEA and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) which conducted separate investigations over the incident.
The case stemmed from the Feb. 24 firefight between PDEA agents and policemen who were conducting separate anti-illegal drugs buy-bust operations along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.
The incident resulted in the deaths of PDEA agent Rankin Gano and policemen P/Cpl. Eric Elvin Garado and P/Cpl. Lauro De Guzman.