By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
According to a letter recently released by Atty. Max Salvador, National Bureau of Investigation-Region VI (NBI-6) director, Atty. Dante Gierran, said, with regard to the case surrounding the December 2018 ambush of Atty. Erfe del Castillo, Task Force Kasanag (TKF) National Commander John Choing is “meddling,” claiming “his mind is being clouded by personal interest.”
“He [diverted] the attention to some police officers charged but never mentioned the other respondent, [Kate Brios], who is a close friend of Chiong’s sister,” the letter pointed out. “His sister was a ‘customer’ of the NBI as the bureau has filed some cases against her.”
“[The] little knowledge that Chiong is boasting [about] were learned by him when he was a ‘striker’ for a resigned NBI agent,” the letter added. “His alleged passion to observe a ‘proper investigation’ is misdirected and done to benefit him on his interests.”
Chiong earlier claimed the NBI did not follow the “correct process” when the case was filed.
The TFK commander, alongside Atty. Jose Max Ortiz, earlier called into question why NBI-6 filed a case without a subpoena.
In response, Salvador affirmed, “Issuance of a subpoena to a subject or respondents is not mandatory [during] the fact finding [process] of [an] investigation.”
“Several Supreme Court rulings, [which have been] made part of the law of the land, declared that [issuing a] subpoena to subjects/respondents are needed when it is in the preliminary investigation stage,” he explained. “That stage is being conducted by the prosecutors.”
In response to questions as to why del Castillo sought assistance of the NBI regional office, which is located in Iloilo, and not the office in Bacolod City, the letter explained, “Bacolod City is still within the territorial jurisdiction of Region VI and it is an undersigned call to whichever agents are assigned to conduct the investigation.”
The NBI filed murder and frustrated murder cases at the Talisay City Prosecutor’s Office in relation to the aforementioned ambush with resulted in the death of del Castillo’s fiancé Efren Palmares, Jr.
Charges were filed against Ortiz; Brios, also known as Catherine Berioso-Cabuga; Berioso-Cabuga’s mother and sister for their alleged involvement in her ambush.
Five police officers were also named, including former Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) director, Police Colonel Francisco Ebreo; former acting BCPO director, Police Lieutenant Colonel Richie Yatar; Police Captain James Adrian Albaytar; Police Senior Master Sergeant Joshua Barile; and Police Staff Sergeant Ronald Ortiz./DGB, WDJ