Cops involved in death of murder suspect in custody may be charged if found guilty

May 30, 2019

Quezon City cops who were allegedly involved in the death of a suspect under their custody may face charges if evidence shows them to be guilty.

“If there are enough evidence that will state contrary (to their claim), they will face administrative cases and possible homicide,” Police Colonel Bernard Banac, the PNP spokesman, said in a press briefing on Thursday.

Banac clarified this incident is only an isolated case.

“This not show the whole picture of how we handle suspects under custody. Generally, all our police intervention that the PNP is doing follows standard operating procedures and all of this has presumption of regularity,” he said.

Banac said the police officers in the incident are being investigated.

Asked if these cops will be relieved, Banac said the PNP does not see any reason for that action.

On whether it is right for them to be investigated on the district level, Banac said it will be up to the Quezon City Police District director if there is a need to form an investigation task group.

“Our IAS (Internal Affairs Service) has also (the) power to investigate the incident,” he said.

According to QCPD director, Police Brigadier General Joselito Esquivel Jr., the suspect in the killing of an octogenarian couple and injury of their housemaid died after he grabbed the service firearm of a police escort which resulted in a scuffle.

Esquivel said around 6:40 pm of May 29 along Kalayaan Avenue in Quezon City, operatives of Novaliches Police Station escorted Carl Joseph Bañanola for his inquest at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

While on their way back to Crime Investigation Detection Unit, Bañanola who grimaced as if in pain, requested his escorts to loosen his handcuff. After it was granted, he suddenly grabbed the service firearm from his escort. This resulted in a scuffle, a report said.

The station commander, Police Lieutenant Colonel Rossel Cejas, sensing his men were in danger, drew out his service firearm and shot the suspect to disable him.

Police officers immediately rushed him to the hospital but he was declared dead on arrival. Ella Dionisio/DMS