‘DEAFENING SILENCE’ BY PNP ON COPS LINKED TO JOURNO’S MURDER

WITH just days before he is replaced, Philippine National Police (PNP) director general, Archie Gamboa and his ‘favorite’ police official, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director, P/MGen. Debold Sinas, continue to ignore calls to present for investigation two policemen believed involved in the murder of a member of the press in Dumaguete City three months ago.

More than a week now after the National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) sent letters to Gamboa and Sinas asking confirmation that the policemen, executive master sergeant Reuel Divinagracia Pinero and, Melvin Bulandres, are now indeed with the NCRPO, the PNP continues to steadfastly refused to answer the very simple question.

Gamboa is to retire this coming September 2, 2020, on reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56. It is now common knowledge in Camp Crame, the headquarters of the PNP, that he wants Sinas as his replacement.

It was also rumored that as an alternative, Gamboa is also seeking an “extension” of his term, using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse. However, this was immediately shot down by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary, Eduardo M. Año.

In an interview that aired over UNTV last August 7, 2020, the DILG chief said giving term extension to Gamboa “is not possible anymore,” stressing this is forbidden by law. “We have to follow the law,” he said.

Año added he would be submitting “5 names” in the PNP roster to Pres. Duterte who can replace Gamboa.

The NPC and other members of the press noted that both Gamboa and Sinas could be cited for ‘obstruction of justice’ for their refusal, until now, to hand Pinero and Bulandres over to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). The two cops have been linked to the murder of Rex Cornelio Pepino.

Pepino, a broadcaster at ’93.7 Original Energy FM’ radio station, was shot dead last May 5, 2020 in Dumaguete City.

His murder again drew wide condemnation from local, national and international media and human rights organizations.

Sources claimed that Pinero was the driver of a vehicle owned by the provincial government of Negros Oriental being linked to Pepino’s murder.

Bulandres, his colleague on the other hand, is also said to have “crucial knowledge” about Pepino’s killing.

Pepino’s case is now under investigation by the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) with both the NBI and the PNP as among its members.

But sources said that Sinas and Gamboa had refused the NBI “access” to Bulandres and Pinero and both had also refused to investigate the policemen for their involvement on Pepino’s case, despite the PNP being a member of the PTFoMS.

Media groups are also scandalized that in the case of Pinero, Gamboa approved last August 14, 2020, the use of the PNP’s own helicopters to fetch him from Cebu and then to Manila so he can purportedly take his new assignment at the NCRPO.

The “VIP travel” accorded to a mere police sergeant is unprecedented in the history of the PNP, they said.

Last August 18, 2020, former Biliran congressman, Atty. Glenn Chong, had also sued Gamboa before the Ombudsman for, among others, “obstruction of criminal prosecution” and “concealment of evidence” related to the murder on December 10, 2018, of Chong’s aide, Richard Santillan and Gessamyn Casing, in Cainta, Rizal.