By AARON RECUENCO
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THE Western Visayas regional police has placed on restrictive custody a police corporal who is one of the two cops tagged in the killing of a call center agent and a son of former congressman in Iloilo City January this year.
Brig. Gen. Rene Pamuspusan, director of the Western Visayas regional police, said Police Corporal Jerry Villanueva is now under the restrictive custody through the Regional Headquarters Support Unit.
He said they are now also looking for Police Corporal Joseph Joven who has been Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) since March 12.
Villanueva and Joven were tagged in the killing of Allen Mueller, a call center agent who was reportedly a drug surrender, and Delfin Britanico, son of former party-list representative Salvador Britanico.
Based on the initial report, the two cops and their alleged cohorts gunned down Mueller first in Jaro, Iloilo. Britanico, on the other hand, was shot dead in La Paz, Iloilo.
The National Bureau of Investigation stepped into the case after Britanico’s parents sought their assistance. The involvement of the two cops was revealed when NBI agents traced the getaway vehicle in killing the two victims.
During the probe, it was found out that the two cops and their alleged cohorts killed Mueller using a getaway vehicle they rented.
Britanico, on the other hand, was shot dead when he confronted the group while removing a sticker of the car in La Paz where they made a stop after allegedly killing Mueller.
Probes believed that Britanico was shot as the suspects believed that he took a photo or video of them.
Pamuspusan said he had already assured the NBI of their full cooperation on the investigation and prosecution of the case.
The two cops, along with two others, were charged on May 29.
“It saddens me to hear news like this but our reformation program must continue to ensure honest and genuine service for our countrymen. We are committed to clean our rank as we pursue our programs on reformation. We appeal to the public to report to the nearest police station any information relative to this case or on any misbehavior committed by police officers within the region,” said Pamuspusan.
