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Commission on Human Rights Chairman Leila de Lima on
Monday cited the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) presentation
of the RCBC robbery-murders suspects before the media as a clear
violation of human rights.
“The PNP should be careful in
arresting suspects and presenting them before the media,” de Lima
said as a guest of honor during the flag raising ceremony of the
national police.
“This will rock the PNP’s
leadership, just like the Kuratong Baleleng and Ortigas rubout
cases.”
Ricardo Gomolon was named as the
principal suspect in the gruesome RCBC heist in Laguna two months
ago, but his wife, Leah, has repeatedly claimed that her husband is
merely a “fall guy.”
“The CHR is still investigating
the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Gomolon,” de Lima
said.
“We are looking into the fact
that he could be really just a fall guy. It’s something that we
really have to find out.”
Earlier, de Lima said that the
police might have gunned four of the suspects in the RCBC robbery
case.
De Lima based her claims on the
witnesses’ interviews with the rights commission initial reaction
team that argues that the four—identified as Vivencio Javier,
Rolly Lachica, Pepito Magsino and Angelito Malabanan—were unarmed
when they were slain by policemen.
The rights commission also asked
the PNP for the autopsy reports on the four suspects and has called
on police to provide the names of the officers involved in the
shooting.
--Maricel V. Cruz
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