The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) lambasted the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Cojuangco-Aquino clans for apparent attempts to whitewash the investigation on the recent shooting of two Hacienda Luisita strikers. The two victims are still in the Ramos General Hospital, Jorge Loveland is out of danger but Ernesto Ramos is still in critical condition.  

According to Ka Willy Marbella, spokesperson of KMP, “on the time of the incident itself, the police in the area hid instead of defending the strikers from their assailants. Now Chief Supt. Rowland Albano, Central Luzon police director said that it is their standard procedure to hide upon hearing shots being fired, but is it not obvious where the shots came from and who shot whom? If their mandate is to truly to serve and protect then they could have easily arrested the gunmen, or the hiding was intentional so that the perpetrators can escape?

“Another point is that when the gunmen alighted from the Nissan Patrol and were threatening the strikers, why was it that the policemen were referring to the assailants as “sirs”? Does this mean that they know the assailants and they are the policemen’s superiors?” queried the peasant leader.

Meanwhile Carl Anthony Ala, public information officer of the group, “but the biggest police blunder is this; they have the wrong plate number of the vehicle! The police released the plate number of the Nissan Patrol as CLA 119 and it was traced to a certain Bonifacio de Jesus, a resident of Barangay Gonsuran in Pandi, Bulacan, and the plate belongs to an Isuzu jeepney, as Albano was saying,”

“Besides how can the police see the plate number of the vehicle when they were hiding during the incident or was it their intention to look for the wrong plate number? But the right plate number of the gold station wagon model 93 Nissan Patrol is TLA 119 and it belongs to a certain Efren delos Santos of 8197 Yabut circle, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City (4th District NCR),”

“This is the guy that has to be investigated and what is his connection to the Cojuangco-Aquinos? Why are they also allowed to carry high-powered rifles in the Hacienda? This is a free lead to the police and they should look for this suspect now. But if what we are thinking is correct the police will drag their feet so that this guy can escape, and they can complete the whitewash,” ended Ala. # # #

KMP - 7 January 2005