By Hanah Tabios
VIRAC, CATANDUANES —- The confessed killer and resigned police officer tagged in the killing of local newspaper publisher Larry Que in 2016 was found guilty of frustrated murder in a separate crime.
In an 11-page ruling released on Friday, Presiding Judge Genie Gapas-Agbada of Virac Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 42 convicted former Police Officer 1 (PO1) Vincent Tacorda in a frustrated murder case involving Samuel Rojas, who was an employee of the Department of Education (DepEd) in San Jose, Viga, Catanduanes.
The incident happened on August 10, 2016 at the height of the Duterte administration’s ‘Oplan Tokhang’, during which Tacorda shot the victim in the body, injuring his spinal column, according to court documents.
But the victim survived the attack.
The court sentenced Tacorda with 8 years and 1 day up to 14 years, 8 months, and 1 day prison term at the maximum.
The court also ordered him to pay P25,000 as exemplary damages, P50,000 as moral damages, and P100,000 as actual damages to the victim.
“I respect the decision of the RTC. Por respeto sa napag-usapan at naipangako ko sa dalawang mataas na opisyal, ako na ang magsasakripisyo,” Tacorda said in a local report.
Prior to the verdict, Tacorda publicly confessed that he is quitting from the police organization after accusing his superiors of plotting the murder of Rojas, who, at that time, was tagged by police as the No. 1 drug pusher in the municipality of Viga.
He said the “kill order” was given to eight of his colleagues but refused to accept it. Had Rojas been killed, it could have been the first extrajudicial killing case in the province of Catanduanes.
But he later recanted his affidavit on the police-sponsored killings more than a month after his resignation from the institution.
On Saturday, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar welcomed the court’s decision.
“In one way or another, justice has been achieved and we’ll make sure that the likes of Tacorda will feel the force of the law. The verdict may have been for another reason, but the Duterte administration will always ensure that justice will be served and protect media workers. I commend the PTFoMS Secretariat led by Usec. Joel Sy Egco and the team of investigators who worked on the case, ” Andanar said in a statement.
Similarly, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) Executive Director Joel Egco also stressed that Tacorda will no longer escape the wrath of the law.
To recall, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) conducted a parallel investigation on Rojas’ and Que’s cases. But the latter’s murder case did not prosper due to the lack of sufficient evidence.