Raps eyed vs 11 cops in Navy man’s death
By Tina Santos
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: February 02, 2011
MANILA, Philippines—The Pasay City police have recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges against 11 members of the Philippine National Police’s Aviation Security Group (PNP-ASG) in connection with the death of a US Navy officer who reportedly committed suicide following his arrest for drug possession at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 last year.
Pasay police chief, Senior Supt. Napoleon Cuaton, recommended the filing of charges of negligence resulting in homicide against SPO2 Roberto Figueras, SPO1 Mateo Aguilas, Police Officers 2 Jay Guinto and Noel Libertad and PO1 Jomer Zurbano for their failure to take action which may have prevented victim Lt. Cmdr. Scintar Mejia from falling, jumping or committing suicide, resulting in his death.
Based on the probe conducted by Chief Insp. Raymund Liguden, Pasay investigation unit chief, the five policemen were near Mejia when he jumped to his death on December 27, 2010.
Cuaton also recommended the conduct of a pre-charge evaluation to determine the administrative liabilities of the five policemen and their six other colleagues, namely, Chief Insp. Norberto Lumbera Jr., SPO1 Melencio Vivencio, PO2 Mark Anthony Gobaton, Police Officers 2 Sherwin Somido and Dante Meneses and PO1 Emmanuel Ponce.
This was after they “were found sleeping or failing to have properly performed their respective duties and responsibilities when Mejia was apprehended and placed under custodial investigation” at the Police Center for Aviation Security (PCAS).
A report by the airport police showed that Mejia, 35, a Filipino-American citizen, jumped headfirst into a stairwell on the second floor of the PCAS building.
A day before his death, airport policemen accosted him at the airport pre-departure area for unruly behavior and after an X-ray check of his hand-carried bag showed a sachet that contained a white powdery substance.
Mejia, who held a US diplomatic passport, was then about to board a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Los Angeles.
When he was asked about the contents of the sachet, he went into hysterics and threw the item in question at the operator of the X-ray machine. He claimed that he was being framed.
Mejia was subsequently taken to the PCAS office for questioning. On Monday morning, he asked to go to the toilet. While being escorted there in handcuffs, he ran off and jumped into a stairwell. He fell headfirst from a height of at least 10 feet.
An autopsy showed that Mejia had sustained a deep wound and a rib fracture, injuries he did not have before an attempt was made to revive him. |
|
|
|
| ©Copyright 2001-2011 INQUIRER.net, An Inquirer Company |
