By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA
MANILA — Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde on Tuesday ordered a probe over a possible foul play on the death of Senior Insp. Manuel Tatayon Jr., chief of Pasay City police’s Intelligence Section, in a shootout with a fugitive accused in the murder of a Grab driver in 2017.
Albayalde and NCRPO head, Dir. Guillermo Eleazar, visited Tatayon’s wake at the Veronica Memorial Chapel in Pasay City on Tuesday where his father, Manuel Sr., asked the PNP to conduct further investigation of the incident.
“We want to assure the family we will support, especially their doubts about the operation. We assured them there will be an investigationkung ano talaga ang nangyari doon sa (on what really happened during the) operation and the cause of the death of Senior Inspector Tatayon,” Albayalde told reporters.
Tatayon’s father believed that there was a foul play in the incident, citing that his son had gunshot wounds at the back, which may indicate that he was possibly shot by another policeman involved in the operation.
He added that all the firearms used by the cops during operation, as well the suspect’s guns, were already turned over for ballistic examinations.
Based on initial examination conducted by the PNP Crime Laboratory, the two slugs recovered from Tatayon’s body matched with the firearms used by the suspect when he fired at arresting officers during the operation.
He said there are two other bullet holes in Tatayon’s back but the slugs have yet to be recovered.
Albayalde also noted the possibility that Tatayon pulled back and sought cover after the suspect fired at him.
On Sunday, Tatayon led the operation against Marc Delemios, who was the main suspect in the killing of Gerardo Maquidato Jr., a “good samaritan” Grab driver in 2017.
During his visit to the wake, Albayalde conferred the “Medalya ng Kagalingan” (Medal of Merit) to Tatayon.
The “Medalya ng Kagalingan” is conferred to police officers “for a single act of heroism or a series of heroic acts in a duty”.
“The PNP assures the orphaned family of PSI Tatayon of every possible assistance within our means if only to alleviate their suffering. The PNP will never run out of heroes because many more good men in the police service will not hesitate to go the way of Tatayon,” Albayalde said.
