DOJ urged to act on murder raps vs. PNP men in lawyer’s death

Pending before the DOJ is the petition for review seeking to set aside the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors’ Office dismissing the charges against Chief Insp. Eduardo Mara and Senior Police Officer 4 Edwin Galan. (File Photo By Ramon FVelasquez – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA — A former Cebu City councilor asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) Monday to charge policemen implicated in the killing of his brother, lawyer Noel Archival, five years ago.

In a letter, Nestor Archival asked Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to rule on their family’s petition to file murder charges in court against regional officers of the Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG).

Pending before the DOJ is the petition for review seeking to set aside the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors’ Office dismissing the charges against Chief Insp. Eduardo Mara and Senior Police Officer 4 Edwin Galan.

He likewise asked Guevarra to reconsider the DOJ resolution last year that dismissed the charges against Chief Supt. Romualdo Iglesia, Senior Insp. Joselito Lerion, and PO1 Alex Bacani.

“The evidence is very clear that these HPG officials had conspired in the murder of my brother, Atty. Noel Archival,” read the letter.

“I am writing this letter because I have full faith and trust in your leadership as the head of the Department of Justice,” Archival appealed.

Archival urged authorities to also implement the outstanding warrant of arrest issued by the Cebu regional trial court against Iglesia, Lerion and Bacani.

The PNP-HPG 7 (Central Visayas) officers were accused of killing Archival, his driver Alejandro Jayme, and bodyguard Candido Miñoza in Dalaguete, Cebu on February 18, 2014.

Archival’s assistant, Paolo Cortes, survived the attack.

They were charged with multiple murder and frustrated murder.