THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday filed murder and frustrated murder charges against a police officer and a member of the Barangay Intelligence Network (BIN) who were implicated in the Feb. 7 drive-by shooting where two teenagers in barangay Nangka, Balamban town, western Cebu were killed.
PO3 Jose Baldicasa Jr. and Dennis Mancia are facing preliminary investigation on charges of multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors’ Office
NBI-7 Supervising Agent Rennan Augustus Oliva said the evidence they gathered pointed to the respondents as the same persons who shot dead Rey Cleazar Toong, 22, and Ernel Bucag, 21.
Another teenager—Rhembran Estan—was also wounded in the leg which was eventually amputated.
Oliva said they acted upon the request of Balamban Mayor Ace Binghay to investigate the strafing incident.
Investigation revealed that at 9:45 p.m. of Feb. 7, operatives of the Balamban Police Station conducted an operation against boletce, an illegal card game in barangay Nangka, Balamban town.
During the raid, unidentified persons pelted the police car with stones.
At about 11 p.m., two persons on board a blue Honda XRM motorcycle arrived at the place that was earlier raided by the police.
The passenger of the motorcycle, who was wearing a bonnet, disembarked and approached the victims who were seated in a house where the illegal card game was played. The man inquired about the identities of the persons who earlier stoned the police patrol car.
Before the victims could answer, the passenger of the motorcycle fired shots at them using a submachine gun.
A member of the BIN in Balamban town told the NBI that he got a call from Baldicasa at around 10:30 p.m. last Feb. 7.
Baldicasa is the chief intelligence officer of the Balamban Police Station and the “handler” of all BIN members in the municipality.
The witness said Baldicasa informed him about the stone throwing incident that happened in barangay Nangka. While he was at the waiting shed, the witness saw a blue Honda XRM motorcycle driven by Mancia, a resident of barangay Baliwagan, Balamban town. He identified Baldicasa as the passenger of the motorcycle carrying a submachine gun.
The NBI said there is enough basis to believe that the two respondents were the same persons involved in the strafing incident.