Angry Villanueva townsfolk lay the coffins of three alleged “salvage” victims in front of the Tagoloan police station before interment over the weekend. The three dead men -- Vincent Viemin, Don Rimar Andoles, and Clifford Abales of Tambal, Tambobong, Villanueva in Misamis Oriental -- were shot to the head and dumped along the boundaries of Tagoloan and Malitbog in Bukidnon. Their relatives accused members the Tagoloan police of being the killers. (photos by Joey Nacalaban)
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By JOEY NACALABAN
and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents .

ANGRY villagers stormed the Tagoloan police station like an angry mob on Saturday as they laid down the coffins of three “salvage” victims before they were given decent burials in neighboring Villanuva town in Misamis Oriental.

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Yesterday, relatives of the three men — Don Remar Andales, 23; Clifford Abales, 21; and Vincent Viemen, 24 — sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in an effort to bring the killers, who shot and dumped the bodies of the young men in Malitbog town in Bukidnon, to justice.

Relatives of the victims have accused still unnamed members of the Tagoloan police as responsible for the vigilante-style killings over a week ago.

Maria Andales, mother of one of the victims, vowed to fight and seek justice for her son. She said she did not trust the police and so, her group went to the NBI.

The decomposing bodies of the younger Andales, Abales and Viemen found dumped in a ravine in Sitio Saray, Bagong Silang, Sta. Ines, Malitbog town, near the boundaries of Bukidnon and Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, on Tuesday afternoon. They were believed to have been shot and killed two Sundays ago after they were investigated by officers at the Tagoloan police station on suspicion that they were snatchers.

The elder Andales said three witnesses have come forward against the suspects.

Chief Insp. Allan Oniana, Tagoloan police chief, said none of his subordinates were involved in the cold-blooded murders.

He said they have witnesses that the three young men were released by the Tagoloan police after a snatching victim failed to identify them.

The victims, whose heads were shot at point-blank range, were buried at the public cemetery in Barangay Tambobong in Villanueva town. Many joined the funeral and attended the mass at a public facility in Tambobong.

Outside the Tagoloan police station where the three coffins were laid down, relatives, friends and neighbors of the victims yelled in Bisaya: “Look at what you’ve done!”

Demonstrators stayed outside the police station for about 15 minutes while police officers were holed up indoors.

Misamis Oriental police director Senior Supt. Rolando Destura said the accusations adversely affected the police in Tagoloan. There is low morale in their workplace now, he said.

Police said three men were merely brought to the Tagoloan police station to shed light on the complaint made by a snatching victim.

Since the police had no case against them, they were allowed to leave the police station, he said.

Destura said the police suspect that there was another party, presumably another group, that was behind the shooting deaths.

“Daku ang posibilidad nga ila rang sakop nga mga kriminal ang napatay sa maong mga biktima. Nakita seguro sila nga miadto sa buhatan sa pulis boluntaryo busa gidudahan sila nga duna silay gisumbong,” said Destura.

He said he has ordered his subordinates to prioritize the case and identify and arrest the killers.

“That is why I always remind my policemen to do the right thing and to always respect the rights of others,” Destura said.

At the capitol, provincial board member President Elipe called for an independent investigation into the spate of killings in Misamis Oriental by provincial officials.

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