37 cops relieved for lapses in Ivler manhunt
By Non Alquitran
The Philippine Star – www.philstar.com
Thursday, January 21, 2010
MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa relieved yesterday 37 Quezon City policemen for lapses in handling the case of Jason Ivler.
Seven of them are police officials and 30 come from the ranks.
They are Superintendent Nestor Abalos, Quezon City Police intelligence chief; Superintendent Lino Banaag, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) unit chief; Chief Inspector Benjamin Elenzano, CIDG deputy chief; Chief Inspector Benjamin Gabriel Jr., Quezon City police public information chief; Inspector Genaro Martinez, and Chief Inspector Andrew Aguirre, Quezon City police CIDG field office chief; Deputy Senior Inspector Wilfredo Sy; Senior Police Officers 3 Jacobo Miranda, and Dandi Bonita; Senior Police Officers 2 Carlito Miranda, Rocco Matic, and Leonardo Pasco, Freddie Zorilla, and Hector Laceda;
Senior Police Officers1 Armando Rivera, Carlos Nicolas, Hector de Vera, Robert Trimor, Federico Diaz, Norberto Reblor Jr., Jorene Hernandez, Michael Collado, Alexander, Pancho, Tom Subida, and Eduardo Roy, Obed Anonuevo, and Darwin Linatoc; Police Officers 3 Teotimo Feudo, Michael Gomez, Antonio Byron, Raymond Avila, Gregorio Maramag, and Randy Danga-ap; Police Officers 2 Lhuis Coronel, Maximo Seda, and Ubaldo Macatangay; and Police Officer 1 Jexter Punzalan.
Ivler is the principal suspect in the killing of Renato Ebarle Jr., son of Undersecretary Renato Ebarle Sr., during a traffic altercation in Quezon City last Nov. 18.
Verzosa directed the Directorate for Intelligence to determine the possible lapses committed by the policemen and institute measures to prevent them from happening again.
The policemen are directly involved in the case of Ivler, he added.
A police official told The STAR the relieved policemen were tasked to closely monitor Ivler’s family residence in Blue Ridge and other areas in Quezon City 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“But it appears that they bungled the job,” the police official said.
Verzosa and Metro Manila police commander Director Roberto Rosales did not see the policemen on TV footage when agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided the residence and arrested Ivler last Monday.
Verzosa immediately approved the recommendation of Rosales and Director Raul Castañeda, CIDG chief, that the 37 be relieved.
The relieved policemen were temporarily assigned at the Quezon City police holding center while the PNP is coordinating with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on their supposed transfer to other police units.
Last Jan. 14, Verzosa instructed Director Eugene Martin, Directorate for Intelligence chief, to set up Task Force Ivler, and in the presence of Undersecretary Ebarle Sr. tasked the Quezon City police to focus on the Ivler residence.
Four other police districts would follow up jurisdiction of responsibility, while the Regional Police Intelligence and Operating Unit would take charge of places outside Metro Manila.
Senior Superintendent Billy Beltran, National Capital Region police intelligence chief, strongly believed that Ivler was hiding inside their Quezon City residence because his mother, Marlene Aguilar-Pollard, was monitored to be leaving the place very infrequently, contrary to past behavior.
Task Force Ivler coordinated with the former owner of the Pollard residence to get the house floor plan.
However, NBI agents raided the place Monday before the Task Force Ivler could get hold of the document.
Top police officials noticed in the video footage that the Quezon City police and CIDG tracker teams were not on the scene.
“They should have been more responsible and focused on the job assigned to them,” a police official told The STAR.
“But it turned out that they were not there. They were sleeping on the job.”
Martin said the unsatisfactory performance of the Quezon City police and CIDG tracker teams showed that they lack proper training.
Members of the tracker teams would undergo intelligence training like the Special Task Groups created to go after Partisan Armed Groups, Martin said.
However, Rosales said it doesn’t matter “what government agency arrested Ivler.”
“The important thing is he’s behind bars so he can feel the pain and agony of being inside a jail,” he said.
More charges vs Ivler
The NBI is set to file charges of direct assault with frustrated murder and attempted murder against Ivler.
Head agent Ross Bautista, executive officer of the NBI deputy director for intelligence services, said the attempted murder charge was for the shooting of lawyer Angelito Magno, NBI Special Action Unit chief, and frustrated murder was for the wounding of Special Investigator Anna Labao during the shootout inside Ivler’s home in Blue Ridge, Quezon City.
The charges will be filed before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office, he added.
Meanwhile, Bautista said the leaves suspected to be marijuana found in Pollard’s home turned out to be a spice used for pizza.
The NBI is planning to transfer Ivler from the Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City to a nearby hospital in Manila for security reasons.
“We will wait for the clearance of the doctors if Ivler could be transferred,” he said.
Ivler’s mother accuses NBI of violating son’s human rights
Marlene Aguilar-Pollard, Ivler’s mother, accused NBI agents yesterday of violating her son’s human rights when they arrested him following a shootout in their house in Quezon City last Monday.
Pollard said video footage showed that her son was treated like an animal when he was taken to the NBI van.
“Trinato na parang baboy ang anak ko (they treated him like a pig),” she said.
Pollard said the footage showed how the NBI agents pointed their guns at her son despite his being wounded and handcuffed.
“Tinadyakan yung tiyan (They kicked hi in the stomach),” she said in between sobs after visiting her son at Quirino Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City.
“Itinapon sa sasakyan na parang baboy (They threw him in the vehicle like a pig). There are human rights that must be respected under any circumstance.”
Pollard said a friend called her up after seeing the footage on YouTube.
However, she had not personally seen the video, she added.
She was accompanied by her husband, Stephen Pollard, who is also set to be questioned by the NBI on whether he participated in coddling Ivler.
Pollard said the NBI also prevented her from talking to her son at the hospital.
“They won’t let me talk to my son. It’s every mother’s right,” she said.
Rickson Chiong, NBI deputy director for investigation, said it was “for Ivler’s own good” that family members and friends have no physical contact with him, as they might cause “stress” to him.
Chiong said this has been the setup since Ivler was brought to the hospital Monday morning.
“He (Ivler) is still in the curing stage,” he said. “And I hope they would understand that.”
Chiong also denied Pollard’s allegations that NBI agents violated her son’s human rights.
Ivler was resisting arrest when he was being taken out of the house, he added.
NBI agents are on standby at Ivler’s bedside, and only doctors and nurses are allowed to get near him.
Pollard seeks US embassy’s help
Pollard has called the US embassy’s attention over the treatment of her son, a US citizen, when he was arrested.
“Jason is one of your soldiers who fought in Iraq,” she said.
“This is how they (Philippine authorities) treated your soldier. Protect him and defend him.”
The US embassy has contacted the Quirino Memorial Medical Center to allow officials to see and talk with Ivler.
A source showed reporters a copy of the US embassy’s letter to the hospital based on Pollard’s request.
The letter was signed by Michael Garrote of the US embassy’s American Citizen’s Services section.
Embassy officials want to visit and contact Ivler as part of routine procedure, according to the letter.
Dr. Fernando Lopez, Quirino Memorial Medical Center head of surgery, said Ivler is now out of danger and will soon be moved to a regular room.
Ivler was set to be transferred to a private room, but he had a fever yesterday due to infection in one of his wounds, he added. – With Sandy Araneta, Reinir Padua, Paolo Romero
Masbate official slain
By Cet Dematera
The Philippine Star – www.philstar.com
Thursday, January 21, 2010
LEGAZPI CITY , Philippines – The president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in Esperanza, Masbate was gunned down near his house Tuesday afternoon, the military said.
Maj. Harold Cabunoc, spokesman of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division based in Bicol, said Ali Aransado, ABC president of Esperanza town, was shot at close range near his residence in Barangay Masbaron at around 3:30 p.m.
Quoting reports, Cabunoc said the gunmen immediately fled to the hinterland portion of the village after the attack.
Probers were still clueless on the killing, although authorities suspect politics or the involvement of communist rebels, who are imposing permit-to-campaign fees from local candidates in the 2010 polls.
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