Top officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have vowed to investigate the death of a suspect in the gruesome killing of an octogenarian couple at the hands of the police.
Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said he wants to find out what really happened when 37-year old Carl Joseph Bananola was killed inside a police car on Wednesday while on the way back to Camp Karingal after inquest proceedings for two counts of murder and frustrated murder was facing.
“I have already directed the District Director of Quezon City (Brig. Gen. Joselito Esquivel) to conduct investigation on this. Even the policeman official who shot the suspect also wanted an investigation,” said Eleazar.
Eleazar was referring to Police Lt. Col. Rossel Cejas who was the one who shot Bananola inside a police car.
Bananola was earlier arrested after he was identified as responsible for the death of 86-year-old retired engineer Nicolas Austria and his 87-year-old retired teacher wife Leonora on May 26.
The couple’s househelp, 63-year-old Editha Fernandez, is currently confined at the hospital for serious injuries she suffered after reportedly being hit repeatedly with blunt object.
Police was able to identify and track down the suspect based on the interview with the househelp.
During his arrest on Tuesday night, the cops recovered some P16,000 which is believed to be part of the P38,000 cash allegedly stolen by the suspect from the couple.
On Wednesday, Bananola was presented to the media and later in the evening, the police reported that he was shot dead while on board a police car from the QC Hall of Justice.
“Suspect (Bananola), who was grimacing in pain, requested from his escorts that his handcuff from behind be loosened as he was in pain. For human considerations, Police Staff Sergeant Alex Icban relented and while about to loosen the handcuff, suspect Bananola suddenly grabbed the service firearm of PSSgt Icban,” the police report read.
“A brief scuffle ensued. Police Lieutenant Colonel Cejas, who was seated in front of said vehicle, drew his service firearm and shot the suspect to disable him and immediately rushed the latter to East Avenue Hospital for medical treatment,” it added.
Cejas reportedly first shot Banola on the leg to disable him but he allegedly went on grappling with the gun, prompting the official to shoot him in the body. Bananola died in the hospital.
Police Col. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesman, said the conduct of investigation is a protocol every time a criminal suspect would die at the hands of the police.
“Any police intervention is always done with presumption of regularity following standard police operating procedures, in this case, on custody of suspects and on self defense,” said Banac.
“Part of the procedures is for those cops on duty to undergo investigation and give account of the incident and to submit their firearms for ballistics examination,” he added.
But he assured that the PNP “is a professional organization that always accords suspects under custody with proper protection and utmost respect for human rights.” (Aaron Recuenco)
