The National Bureau of Investigation-Death Investigation Division (NBI-DID) and the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) launched yesterday a joint investigation into the death of a motorcycle rider who was shot inside the mobile car of HPG while allegedly resisting arrest last Friday.
NBI-DID Chief Daniel Lalucis said the probe team would look into the circumstances of the death of John Dela Riarte, 26, whose family sought the help of the bureau Monday.
Senior Supt. Flor Torres will head the HPG investigation team.
NBI-DID said they will have to do the basics for now, including the formation of the joint investigation and the forensic examination on the mobile car where Riarte was shot four times in death by HPG police.
Torres, on the other hand, said that the HPG investigation team also wants to determine what had transpired during the incident.
HPG members Police Officer 3 Jeremiah De Villa and Polcie Officer 2 Jonjie Manon-og, who were believed to be involved in shooting Riarte dead, have already been under police custody for investigation since Sunday.
The NBI-DID will subject De Villa and Manon-og for investigation in the coming days.
Riarte was shot four times inside the HPG mobile car while he was being transported to Camp Crame for investigation Friday morning, according to report.
Police claimed Riarte, who was handcuffed, grabbed the pistol of one of the arresting officers, prompting the cops to shoot him.
According to police report on the day of the incident, Riarte, who was onboard a motorcycle, had hit the vehicle driven by Felix Fajardo, 40, while traversing EDSA Makati.
Investigators said Riarte was “frantically smashing” the vehicle of Fajardo that prompted police to apprehend him.
Police further disclosed that Riarte was under the influence of illegal drugs when the incident happened which his 30-year-old brother Robert opposed, saying his brother was not a drug user.
Robert disclosed that his brother tested negative for his drug test recently for employment. It was supposedly his first day on his new job the same day he was killed.
Earlier, his family cried “overkill” on the death of Riarte, noting that they did not receive “any clear explanation of the incident” from the investigators.
“What they told us was the general story. When I was at the hospital, an officer, a certain Inspector Abasco told me that my brother grabbed the pistol of the officer and he was just restrained,” Robert cried out in frustration.
“How could he grab the gun if he was being handcuffed?” Robert asked. (BETHEENA KAE UNITE)
