ANGELES CITY – Charges of murder, frustrated multiple murder, robbery, illegal arrest and detention, violations of human rights and the election code have been filed against the Zambales police provincial chief, the elections supervisor, and several others in connection with the killing here of a supporter and the injury of others on the eve of the special elections for congress in the province’s second district last Feb. 5.
The criminal complaint was filed before the Zambales prosecutor by 10 supporters of defeated congressional candidate Cherry Deloso-Montalla of the Liberal Party who lost by 5,922 votes to Omar Ebdane, son of Zambales Gov. Jun Ebdane of the Partido ng Magsasaka at Manggagawa in the polls slated to fill in the vacancy left by the death of Rep. Antonio Diaz.
The complaint accused the complainants of shooting to death Cesar Madoh who sustained 14 bullet wounds and the alleged mauling of the complainants after the suspects allegedly intercepted them in Botolan, Zambales at about 7 p.m. last Feb. 4.
The respondents included Zambales police chief Superintendent Francisco de Belen Santiago Jr., his cousin provincial elections supervisor lawyer Elaiza Sabile-David, deputy provincial police head Superintendent Demosthenes Felix, former Botolan police head Inspector Michael Chavez, police intelligence head Inspector Preston Bagangan, eight other cops, and “several other John Does.”
In a telephone interview, former Zambales governor Amor Deloso, father of Montalla, said that elections supervisor David was included as she was reportedly present when the police and their companions, all in civilian clothes in three vehicles, intercepted Madoh’s group who were reportedly in possession of 500 pieces of evidence on alleged election anomalies.
“The victims were aware of this and had in their possession some 500 pieces of evidences on anomalies when they were intercepted by the police,” Deloso said.
The complaint said the suspects were in civilian clothes when they fired their guns at the wheels of the complainants vehicles and “proceeded to attack, assault, maul and fire (guns).”
The suspects then allegedly separated Madoh from his companions and beat and strangle him. They later allegedly shot him 14 times “with the use of several guns that killed him instantly.”
The complaint said bullets missed the other victims as they lay on the ground, although some of them sustained bullet wounds treated later in a local hospital.
It said some of the complainants were also beaten and that their wallets were taken by the suspects before they were handcuffed and detained up the next day for “more than the period allowed by law.”
“The provincial elections supervisor was in conspiracy with the respondents and was even present at the scene where Cesar Madoh was killed,” the complaint added.
The complaint also cited “aggravating circumstances” in the case, such as their allegedly “singly and collectively taking advantage of their positions” in the incident which was “committed at nighttime and in an inhabited place.”
Deloso noted that the Zambales police chief and the elections supervisor were appointed to their posts a month before the elections and that he found this “interesting”.
Deloso also cited that the victims were aware that on Jan. 24 before the elections, the local Commission on Elections issued a resolution that approved the acquisition of 15,000 extra ballots and 54 election returns for the special polls.
