Hmmmm. very convenient. So I presume the killing of the seaman will soon be a “cold case”?
Seaman’s suspected killer shot dead in ‘escape’ try
GMANews.TV – 24 June 2010
A suspect in the robbery-killing of a seaman in Manila last week was shot dead Wednesday night, while supposedly being taken to the prosecutor’s office for inquest.
But while police suspect Ronald Sevilla was shot while trying to “escape,” his parents suspect he may have been salvaged, or summarily executed.
“Nakita ko may tama tatlong beses sa ulo …binaril ng pulis (I saw that he had three gunshot wounds in the head. The police deliberately shot him),” Sevilla’s mother Corazon said, in an interview aired on dzBB radio early Thursday.
Mrs. Sevilla said her son was brought out of the Manila Police District (MPD) Station 5 at about 4 p.m. to undergo inquest at the Manila City Hall.
The younger Sevilla was arrested hours earlier for the robbery-killing of seaman Edralin Amon, 49, Thrusday last week. [See: Cops close in on seaman’s robber-killers via CCTV]
But when he failed to return after five hours, Mrs. Sevilla asked her husband go to City Hall to check on their son.
She said they later learned Ronald was rushed to the Philippine General Hospital following an “accident.” Ronald died at about 10 p.m. Wednesday, the dzBB report said.
“Naaksidente, sabi ng pulis (Police claimed it was an accident),” Mrs. Sevilla said.
For his part, MPD deputy for operations Senior Superintendent Fidel Posadas said an investigation is now ongoing, but said Sevilla may have been shot because he tried to “escape.”
“Ito ay nanlaban. Ito ay nakaposas subali’t alam ninyo naman kung saka-sakaling ang isang tao na masama ang iniisip at masama ang loob gagawa ng paraan upang makatakas (He might have tried to fight. Even if he was handcuffed, you know how a person with evil intentions would act to escape),” Posadas said in a separate interview on dzBB.
He also said that while the incident is under investigation, the two police escorts assigned to Sevilla will not be suspended for now. He did not name the two escorts.
Posadas said the two will be presumed innocent and will be allowed to continue their regular duties.
“May presumption of regularity in the performance of official duty. Kung may nagawang mali lilitaw ito. Kung mapatunayang sila ay nagkasala ituturing silang mga suspect at makukulong din (There is a presumption of regularity in the performance of official duties. But if the two did something wrong it will come out in the investigation and they will be properly dealt with),” he said.
Last week, two motorcycle-riding robbers snatched Amon’s jewelry, then shot him after he tried to go after them in Singalong, Manila.
Amon would have been deployed abroad next month.
Initial investigation showed Amon was talking with a fellow seaman in the area when the motorcycle-riding robbers showed up and snatched his jewelry.
When Amon tried to fight them off and go after them, they shot him. Bystanders rushed him to a nearby hospital but he was declared dead on arrival. — LBG, GMANews.TV
Honestly, if that person is really the one who pulled the trigger against the helpless seaman, he deserve that kind of death. On the other hand, it only showed the predisposition of our policemen-instant solution, knee jerk reaction to problems that need a long term solution. Kapag may high profile murder ang instant solution nila gun ban, suspension ng PTCFOR, kapag may murder suspect, ang solution SALVAGE. Instead of maintaining police visibility, our PNP responded to the increase criminality in an almost impossible implementation of the rules and regulations pertaining to the issuance of PTCFOR. Its even more stringent during the time of PING LACSON when he was CPNP. Furthermore, the crimes committed by these riding in tandem malefactors are increasing and should be a matter of concern by us armed and responsible citizens. We should always be ready to defend ourselves, an increased awareness on our surroundings is imperative. Driving cocked and locked is not anymore a choice. Being armed is becoming a way of life.
The problem here is that our police often behave as if they were the judge, jury, and executioner. Killing suspects is no substitute for proper and effective police evidence gathering and investigation. Salvaging suspects is not the answer to the rule of law. In 1984, then President Ferdinand Marcos authorized the creation of the “Secret marshals”. These “Secret marshals” were authorized, albeit implicitly, to simply get rid of (kill) suspected criminals and hold-up artists prior to or at the point of arrest. So instead of arresting the criminals the Secret Marshals simply shot them to death.
At first the public liked the idea of criminals being summarily executed. However, as time went on, there were abuses which came about such as mistaken identity, excessive and improper use of deadly force, and terrorizing innocent civilians. Eventually the clamor of the public in creating the “Secret Marshals”, eventually turned against them and demanded their disbanding.
There is no substitute for the rule of law and the criminal justice system. In every civilized society, the rule of law and due process, though far from perfect, is the best safeguard against the abuses of government, police, and the military.