The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Thursday put 22 officers in restrictive custody over their alleged involvement in the deaths of high-profile inmates at the New Bilibid Prison, which were originally passed off as COVID-19 casualties in 2020.
NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo said the police officers were relieved from their posts while an administrative case was going on.
He said they were still waiting for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to file a case against the 22 officers. In July, the NBI recommended murder charges.
Bureau of Corrections acting Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. this week said he received information that a convicted drug dealer who was said to have died of cardiopulmonary arrest due to COVID-19 in June 2020, was killed at Site Harry, a coronavirus isolation area inside Bilibid.
He said he passed this information on to the NBI.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday assured the public that the NBI would thoroughly investigate the allegations that the high-profile inmates were actually killed.
“Witness testimony can be credible. We have to test it,” Remulla said, even as he disclosed that the NBI has taken into its custody the inmate who made the accusation.
The Justice secretary said he has to wait for the NBI report “so I can act accordingly, and the NBI has its mandate to file cases in case they find wrongdoing.”
On July 1, the NBI filed before the Department of Justice murder complaints on the deaths of inmates against 22 policemen who were assigned at the NBP.
“The National Bureau of Investigation-Death Investigation Division (NBI-DID) recommended the filing of eight (8) counts of murder against NCRPO personnel before the DOJ on the suspicious deaths of high-profile PDLs — Francis Go, Shuli Lim Zhang, Jimmy Ang, Eugene Chua, Benajamin Marcelo, Sherwin Sanchez, Amin Boratong, and Willy Yang,” the NBI had said in a previous statement.
The NBI identified those charged as PMaj. Lymel John Hayahay Pasquin, PSSg. Rannel Tanjura Gadiano, PSSg. Christian Aragon Mercarsos, Pcpl. Laurence Rallos Antiporta, PCpl. Jhunben Oca Alegado, PCpl. Jayson Lequin Anonuevo, PCpl. Rosanie Mujeres Bernales, PCpl. Michael Hellacone Boco, PCpl. Rolex Margaja Borgonia, PCpl. Jophy Tagmayon Buot, PCpl. Gilwen Basallo Garcia, PCpl. Edmar Ilustisimo Gerra, Pcpl. Archie Auman Grapa, PCpl. Vernardo Vispo Into, PCpl. Ener Perez Restauro, PCpl. Banedy Taliporos Solante, PCpl. Jernie Mata Tiongzon, Jan Anthon Todulf Tabotabo Uy, Pat. Tabotabo Uy, Pat. Roland Butch Pelostratus Duran, Pat. James Gemetiza Aninapon, Pat. Rey Reponte Fernandez, and Dr. Beverly De Guzman.
In its complaint, the NBI said that the eight inmates, who were all illegal drugs convicts, were reported to have died due to covid-19.
“The subjects took advantage of the fact that victims were confined at Building 4, Site Harry, an NCRPO-managed isolation area, due to COVID-19 infection. They took advantage of the situation that in case of COVID-19 cases, cadavers should immediately be cremated. Cremation, for these cases, was the final act to consummate and effectively cover-up the scheme to kill the victims,” the NBI said.
During the investigation, the NBI said that investigators learned that “after the segregation and transfer to the ‘comfortable’ isolation room, victims died.”
The NBI noted that “significant amount of time elapsed before the victims were brought to the nearest hospital.”
It also pointed out that while the eight inmates were declared on arrival in the hospital due to alleged cardiac or pulmonary arrest, “a close examination of the medical profile of the deceased… revealed that days before they died, they exhibited neither chronic symptom of COVID-19, including difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath, nor were they observed to be weak or particularly ill.”
“Witnesses had seen them to be well, normal, or lively,” it said.
Meanwhile, NBP officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang Jr. said the Bureau of Corrections is investigating the deaths of Jaybee Sebastian and eight other inmates.
Sebastian died in July 2020 due to COVID-19, supposedly at the NBP hospital.
Catapang told radio dzBB that he had visited Site Harry and talked to the people there and learned that Sebastian might not have died in that area after all.
