A Navotas City Regional Trial Court (RTC) on Wednesday, Oct. 4, ordered a warrant of arrest for the six Navotas policemen, who were responsible for the mistaken identity victim, Jemboy Baltazar.
In a document shared by the Navotas RTC Branch 286 with DZRH News, the six policemen named PEMS Roberto Balais Jr., PSSg Antonio Bugayong Jr., PSSg Gerry Maliban, PSSG Niko PInes Esquilon, PCpl Edmard Jake Blanco, and Pat Benedict Mangada have been ordered to be placed in the custody of the court.
On August 2, six policemen mistakenly killed the 17-year-old Baltazar after they mistook him for the suspect they were chasing in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran at around 2:45 p.m.
"After evaluating the Resolution of the City Prosecutor and the supporting evidence, i.e. Joint Sworn Statement of PCPT Mark Joseph U. Carpio & PCPT Luisito M. Dela Cruz, Certificate of Death, Autopsy Report, Firearms Identification Report and the Property Acknowledgement Report, among others, the court finds probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against all the above-named accused to place them under the custody of the law in order not to frustrate the ends of justice," the order said in its statement.
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) earlier issued a memorandum ordering the six officers to be relieved from their positions, including eight other cops who were involved in the time of operation.
PCol. Allan Umipig, who was the former chief of the station, was also relieved from his post on August 15 due to his failure to supervise the operation and the corresponding investigation, according to the NCRPO.
"Considering that the accused stand charged with the murder, they are not entitled to bail as a matter of course," the order said.
