Wilfredo and Gina Hortezuela, parents of Sr./Insp. Raymond Hortezuela who seeks justice for the death of their son.
(CDN PHOTO/NORMAN MENDOZA)
THE family of the policeman slain during a buy bust operation is seeking the assistance of the Commission on Human Rights, believing that Senior Insp. Raymond Hortezuela was framed by fellow policemen.
His father, Wilfredo said Hortezuela might have been keeping information that would link another official to illegal drugs, and thus was put on the police drug watch list.
“Wala gyud na’y kamatuoran nga protector na siya og illegal drugs kay wala gyud na’y kwarta gawas sa iyang sweldo,” said the father. (There is no truth to the allegation that he was a drug protector because he has no money except for his salary).
He said his son didn’t even own a house but was living with them, with his wife and daughter.
“Ang among balay gama sa kahoy nga ani-a nanimuyo dinhi sa siki-sikit nga kabalayan sa Looc, Mandaue, ang among panginabuhi-an mao ang pagpamaligya og sud-an sa gamay’ng kan-anan,” added Wilfredo. (We have a wooden house situated in a congested residential area in Looc, Mandaue. We make a living selling food.)
He said the police should have operated with a video camera so that it could be seen if his son indeed resisted arrest and pulled out a firearm.
“Nag-andam unta sila og video camera sa ilang pag operate sama sa giingon ni Dela Rosa nga magbutang sila video camera panahon sa ilang mga drug operation aron makita gyud kung nisukol ba ang target o wala,” said Wilfredo. (They should have prepared a video camera during their operation like what General Dela Rosa asked them, to see if the target really resisted by shooting cops or not).
The slain police official will be laid to rest at the Manila Memorial Gardens in Lilo-an town after a Requiem Mass at the St. Joseph Shrine at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday June 23.
Unsolved
Meanwhile, the killing of two other policemen remains unsolved and the suspects remain unidentified.
Police Regional Director, Chief Supt. Debold Sinas said the latest incident involving the shooting of PO2 Melchizedek Batomalaque could have been because of a personal grudge, especially that the victim was allegedly involved in illegal drugs.
“Most likely to see personal grudge (in this incident) baka may mga nakauban nga kasosyo (in the illegal drug trade) whatever. Kay dugay-dugay na siya nawala dinhi (in Cebu) and bigla lang nibalik,” said Sinas.
(The incident is most likely motivated by a personal grudge . Maybe he had cohorts in the illegal drug trade or whatever, because he has been away from Cebu for quite some time and just suddenly came back)
Batomalaque, he said, used to be assigned at the different police stations in Cebu province before he was transferred to the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao in 2016 due to reports that he was involved in the illegal drug trade.
Another policeman, PO3 Jonathan Tilos was also shot by motorcycle-riding men in Alegria, as he stepped out of the gym.
A Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) has been created on the orders of Sinas, to solve the killing of Batomalaque and Tilos, said Cebu Provincial Police Director, Senior Supt. Manuel Abrugena.