Five suspects, including 2 policemen, were charged with murder by the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the death of Capt. Rolando Moralde in Maguindanao del Norte on May 2.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo announced in a press briefing that the two police master sergeants had turned themselves in on May 2, and were now confined in the Parang Municipal Police Station. A manhunt had been initiated to capture the other three.
Moralde and his officers were in the town public market when he spotted a man with a handgun tucked on his waist. The man was later identified as Mohiden Untal.
When confronted by Moralde, Untal shot at him. A gunfight followed, in which Untal's relatives joined and killed Moralde.
"We even appreciate the aggravating circumstances that they are police officers," Fajardo referred to the two involved. "They were supposed to diffuse the tension during that time but they appear to be the ones who aggravated the situation that led to the death of Captain Moralde.”
The arrested cops Aladdin Solaiman Ramalan and Shariff Macarongon Balading told investigators they would face the criminal as well as administrative charges pressed, the latter charge with a maximum penalty of dismissal from service, Fajardo said.
They have also yielded their service firearms, which are to go through ballistic examination to determine whether these were used during the incident.
The four officers who were with Moralde were relieved until an investigation could be conducted by the Internal Affairs Service, because they did not come to Moralde's aid.
Moralde's remains were brought to Camp Crame on Sunday. His wake will be held there until May 8, Wednesday.
