Widow asks NBI to probe Mindoro cop’s slay

• Source:http://www.journal.com.ph/news/provincial/widow-asks-nbi-to-probe-mindoro-cop-s-slay
• Thursday, January 7, 2016

By Bernard Galang

ANGELES City -- The wife of the rookie policeman, who was killed in an alleged shootout at a mall here last December 24, has sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to establish what truly happened on that fateful day.

Mira Angeline Batul, wife of PO1 Jomar Batul of the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Police Office, went to the NBI main office last Wednesday to seek a separate investigation into the death of her husband, who was killed by a Clark Development Corp. (CDC) policeman and SM City Clark guards at the mall’s parking lot.

The rookie policeman’s family has been seeking justice after learning that he suffered five gunshot wounds, including two at the back of his head. His body also tested negative for gunpowder nitrates during a paraffin test and the gun he supposedly used in the alleged shootout was nowhere to be found.

Joel Batul, brother of the slain policeman who was among those who accompanied Mira Angeline to the NBI, said they hope to find out the truth.

He reiterated that the Batuls were at Clark Freeport Zone last December 24 to spend the holiday at Fontana Leisure Park. He also disclosed that after Batul was killed, they asked CDC police for the slain policeman’s bag but ignored.

“Noong pakiusapan namin sila na ipa-kita ng CDC ang bag ng aming kapatid bago ilayo ito sa ospital ay hindi sila pumayag at sa halip ay itinakbo na nila ang bag. Ibinigay nila ito sa himpilan ng pulis makalipas ang ilang oras,” they said.

PO1 Batul, who was assigned to the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Police Office, was accused of trying to grab a motorcycle and commandeering a utility van at the Jollibee restaurant branch at Berthaphil compound inside the free port. He was chased by a CDC policeman, Jake Machinal, until they reached the parking lot of SM City Clark. There, Machinal sought the help of mall guards and they were able to kill the rookie policeman.

A day after PO1 Batul was killed, the Angeles City Police Office wrote a request letter to the manager of the CDC Public Safety Department asking that Machinal and three security guards to undergo paraffin examination. But the CDC-PSD refused to receive the letter and did not allow its personnel to be tested for gunpowder nitrates.

The city police did not recover the gun supposedly used by Batul in the alleged shootout. The CDC Public Safety Department and the mall guards involved in the alleged shootout did not turn over any gun to the city police, although the shooting happened outside the free port zone and within the jurisdiction of the city police.