PNP case up this week as top cop denies pressure from warden
Police investigation on the violent death of inmate Dante Joaquin Jr. of the Iloilo Rehabilitation Center (IRC) folds up this week with Pototan Police working with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on the case filing.
Will it be murder or homicide? For SPO4 Dionisio Rebiza, Pototan Police Chief, final say will be this Friday as he clarified no such decision has been officially reached as of yet. What is clear though, he said in a The News Today (TNT) interview, is the prosecution of whoever are to be held responsible for Joaquin's death.
And yes, there were admissions from at least five of the six jail guards implicated in the crime however those are set to be reflected in sworn statements. The admissions, he added, were on the matter of having fired their service firearms but not on whether they actually shot at and hit Joaquin.
The victim was fired upon by the jail guards following an escape try two weeks back. Likened to a firing squad, the brutal death of Joaquin Jr. sparked an outrage from family members as key officials in the Iloilo Provincial Government exchange barbs over the issue.
To date, SPO4 Rebiza awaits the results of the swabbing on six service firearms submitted for testing at the Police Crime Laboratory. Accounts from other jail guards present during the incident were taken alongside the complaint-affidavit of the victim's parents.
Meantime, said Police Chief denied talks of alleged pressure from retired Police Senior Superintendent Juan Mabugat, IRC warden. Not true, SPO4 Rebiza stressed while adding that neither Mabugat nor anybody else can influence their independent investigation. This, as he assured the victim's family of corresponding police action in the death of Joaquin Jr.
“We are working closely with the CHR and the family. Rest assured, justice will be served here,” he ended.