The identities of the policemen believed administratively liable in the death of Police Officer 2 Johnny Urbano in Escalante City, is expected to be answered today.

Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, has confirmed that several policemen will face administrative charges, as recommended by the task group organized to conduct an impartial probe in the series of extra-judicial killings in Escalante City.

Guisihan, however, declined to name the policemen but promised to release the full report and recommendations of the task force today.

Police Supt. Arnel Arpon, head of the task force, had earlier disclosed that eight policemen who had witnessed the killing of Urbano in a cockpit on Nov. 28 last year, and did nothing, may be held liable for cowardice.

The eight policemen who were also in the cockpit, as confirmed by witnesses, had scampered in various directions, after Urbano was shot dead.

Policemen are barred from entering cockpits, unless on official mission.

The wife of Urbano also accused the Escalante police for their alleged delayed response to the shooting incident. However, this was vehemently denied by Chief Inspector Santiago Rapiz, the city police chief.

Guisihan said the allegations of Urbano’s wife were included in the investigation of the task group headed by Arpon, that was also supported by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Urbano succumbed to eight gunshot wounds and responsibility for his “summary execution” was claimed by the Roselyn “Ka Jean” Pelle Comand, in a statement released to local media outlets in Bacolod City.

Police records show that almost all 16 extra-judicial killings in Escalante since the 2007 elections up to last year, had been claimed by the NPA.

If the investigations establish that it was really communist rebels who had murdered Urbano, then “we will file charges against them, but it doesn’t mean that because they admitted the killing we will call off our investigations,” Guisihan said.*GPB

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