By Jeffrey Damicog
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to resolve the criminal complaint filed against three policemen accused of killing Quezon City Deputy Prosecutor Rogelio Velasco.
Department of Justice (MANILA BULLETIN)
“The case has been submitted for resolution,” said Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong.
Ong had been conducting a preliminary investigation over the murder complaint filed by Velasco’s family and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against SPO2 Rodante Sicat Lalimarmo, PO3 Arthur Yasonio Lucy, and PO1 Jose Lunar.
Velasco died during an ambush on May 11, 2018 in front of the Persian Kitchen in Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City.
A white Toyota Innova with plate number XNR 256 blocked the path of Velasco’s vehicle and four armed men got out and fired at the victim.
NBI investigators said they were able to identify the suspects with the help of witnesses as well as footage of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the crime scene and at the Quezon City Memorial Circle which was used by the suspects as a staging area.
In his counter-affidavit, Lalimarmo pointed out he does not know his other two co-respondents and claimed he was not in Barangay Holy Spirit when the crime took place. His co-respondents also made the same claims.
“On May 11, 2018, respondent SPO2 Rodante S. Lalimarmo went inside the Quezon City Circle for the purpose of selling his Toyota Fortuner to a certain Manny Rivera,” he stated.
Lalirmarmo added that at that time he “told Manny Rivera that he also wants to see how his Toyota Innova runs so they boarded the said Toyota Innova to have it test-driven.”
Also, when the shooting took place, Lalimarmo said that he was “with Felimon Rodriguez Vlardo in LTO Novaliches for their buy and sell transaction, involving respondent’s Nissan Urvan.”
For his part, Mercado said he is assigned to the 1st Quezon Provincial Mobile Force Company in Quezon province and was on duty when the crime took place.
Likewise, Lucy said that he was also on duty at the Batasan Police Station of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) when the crime took place.