PNP ordered to ‘produce’ cop who claimed police are behind EJKs

The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs has directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to “produce” SPO1 Vincent Tacorda who earlier resigned from the service after claiming that policemen are behind the extra judicial killings against drug suspects.

At the resumption of the committee’s investigation into the spate of killings of teenage drug suspects in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said Tacorda has recanted his statement despite issuing an affidavit regarding the corruption and involvement in illegal activities of several ranking police officials in Catandanues

“I have done some serious soul-searching and I have come to realize that I love my organization,” said Lacson when he read Tacorda’s letter to the committee dated July 3.

According to Lacson, Tacorda said he still respects the PNP institution with the highest regard despite “some sad experiences” he went through with the organization.

“’I continue to hold it and its ranks in the highest respect despite some sad experiences I went through, which changed my heart; (that) I had expounded in an affidavit of recantation on 29 June 2017’,” Lacson said while reading Tacorda’s letter.

It was Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV who raised the contents of Tacorda’s affidavit as Lacson’s panel at the continuation of the panel’s hearing into the killing of Kian Loyd Delos Santos, Carl Angelo Arnaiz, Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman and other minors in the war on drugs.

Trillanes likewise showed to the committee a video clip of Tacorda’s  testimony.

Based on Tacorda’s affidavit shown by Trillanes, Tacorda mentioned that during the past administration, there was never a single incident where a drug suspect was killed during the conduct of an operation. That however changed when President Duterte assumed office.

In July 2016, Tacorda said the PSSupt. Jesus Martirez, provincial director of Catanduanes  police ordered him and another policeman, PO1 Bagay to personally deliver an “accomplishment of 5-10 deaths of drug personalities.” The provincial director told them he would be released from his post if there is no “death of drug personalities within their area.

Because of the pressure to deliver, Tacorda said he acceded and requested for a list from which he can choose from but no list was given to them.

“But I got a call and text from PSI Nathaniel Jacob, the chief of police of Viga, Catanduanes, informing me that there is already a go-signal from the provincial director. We met at the Kemji Hotel and Restaurant and I was given the name of my first target,” Tacorda stated in his affidavit.

According to Tacorda, he was designated as a shooter and someone else was assigned to conduct the surveillance. He also said an intelligence operative is watching the target.

He was given by a certain “Sgt. Teope” an P800 as budget for his food and lodging, a picture of the target, and a folder containing placards with ‘PUSHER AKO, HUWAG TULARAN…bicol vigilante’ handwritten in red pentel pen.

Tacorda said his first operation, which was in Barangay San Jose, Viga, Catanduanes, was well-coordinated with the chief of police but the target survived after the ordeal.

After the incident, he said Martirez issued a statement stating that the Catanduanes police do not condone extra judicial killings and emphasized that ‘policemen build up cases carefully against illegal drug personalities.

Tacorda also said his boss attributed the botched operation to “home-grown vigilantes who have lost their patience upon learning that the victim and other known drug pushers in the town have yet to surrender to authorities. He said Jacob likewise issued a similar statement.