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BY MAE SINGUAY
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BACOLOD City – Murder charges were filed against two active-duty police officers and a dismissed policeman for their alleged hand in the death of a “star witness” in the 2016 Christmas Day robbery of a department store.
Police Station 5 filed the cases at the City Prosecutor’s Office yesterday against Police Officer 2 Marlon Famucol, Police Officer 3 Darren Ann Aguas and former policeman Jason Sumalangcay.
At the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), Senior Superintendent Jack Wanky, acting police director, told reporters they pursued with the case after getting in touch with someone with knowledge on the killing of Byron Baccaro.
Their investigation into the Baccaro slay led the police to Russel Montebon of Barangay Granada whom Wanky presented to the press yesterday.
Panay News was still trying to reach the accused for comment as of press time.
Montebon claimed that Sumalangcay asked him to help them look for a house they could rent and where they will kill Baccaro. He added that he and Sumalangcay once engaged in the numbers game jai-alai.
Montebon said he agreed to help the police and go public because his conscience was bothering him, and he and his family were getting threats.
The BCPO is keeping Montebon in its custody while Police Station 5 officers provide the witness’ family protection, Wanky said.
Famucol and Aguas are now assigned at the Philippine National Police headquarters.
On Feb. 6, the Police Regional Office 18 reassigned Aguas to the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit of the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management in Camp Crame.
This was after she was named in a sworn affidavit, executed by Negros Island Region top drug suspect Ricky Serenio, describing the involvement of some law enforcers in illegal drug trafficking.
Baccaro was considered a “star witness” to the robbery of JDS Mindoro Enterprise Corp. on Locsin-Luzuriaga streets, Barangay 13 on Dec. 25, 2016.
The Chinese storeowner and their security guard were killed while three others were wounded in the incident.
Sumalangcay and Famucol were suspects in the fatal robbery. They were charged with robbery with homicide, murder and frustrated murder.
Baccaro was shot to death on Jan. 4 in Barangay Granada. This led to the dismissal of the charges that Police Station 1 filed against the robbery suspects./PN
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