BATO
Philippine National Police Chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa ordered the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) to investigate last week’s death of PO2 Ryan Casiban of Cordova town.
“We received a directive from the chief PNP to dig deeper into this case,” said Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, PRO-7 chief.
Casiban left his post as desk officer of the Cordova police precinct last Aug. 10, even if his shift had yet to end.
Two days after, his remains were found on a vacant lot near a firing range in Lapu-Lapu City, with a bullet wound in the head.
While his colleagues suspected suicide based on the bullet wound found in the right side of his head, an autopsy would determine if there was foul play in Casiban’s death.
“The investigation is ongoing. We could not make any conclusion yet,” Taliño said.
He said Casiban’s cell phone will also undergo forensic examination to recover messages and other information which could help the police in their investigation.
“We will know the messages even if they were already deleted,” Taliño said.
Investigators were looking into the possibility that Casiban’s death was connected to entries he wrote in the police blotter before he disappeared.
At 3 a.m. on Aug. 10, the 37-year-old policeman walked out of the police station, bringing with him his government-issued M-16 rifle.
Before he left on a motorcycle, Casiban wrote the blotter entries that accused retired generals Vicente Loot and Marcelo Garbo of being involved in illegal drugs.
One of Casiban’s entries read: “Gen. Garbo and Gen. Loot are drug syndicate of the Phils. Because of money protected by his men, PNP organization to stop illegal drugs.” The policeman signed the entry.
Another entry, on Page 153, read: “Gen. Garbo and Gen. Loot drug syndicate of the Phils. Because of big drug money protected by his men PNP organization.”
Loot, now mayor of Daanbantayan town, said he didn’t know Casiban even when he was still active in the police service.
Garbo could not be reached for comment.