The Mones family that lost four relatives, including two children, in a fatal accident in August this year in Barangay Inagawan, are upset at the rejection of the reckless imprudence case against the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Petty Officer 1st Class Victor Baclagon.
In a social media post on Sunday, October 31, Philip Jayson Bautista Mones, youngest brother of Jeffrey Mones, the father who tragically died with his wife Liezel Canja Mones and two children on August 30 along the national highway in Inagawan, decried the Prosecutor’s Office’s decision to dismiss the case for lack of evidence.
Philip Jayson, who said the result was unfair for the close relatives they lost, also released six photographs of his brother and Baclagon’s wrecked vehicles, supposedly to awaken the PCG personnel’s conscience about the day of the tragedy.
He said that their father learned of the case’s dismissal on October 29 when he went to the Justice Hall to follow up.
“To Mr. Baclagon, eto po ang sasakyan mo at motor ng pamilya Mones na binawian mo ng buhay, wasak at walang mapakinabangan,” he said.
“Hindi po mga hayop ang nabangga ninyo para pabayaan niyo na lang hindi bigyang pansin ang nangyari sa kanila, mga tao po yan, napakabuti at patas lumaban sa buhay ang mga yun,” he added.
Philip Jayson said what they’re asking is for justice and fair investigation following the dismissal of the case.
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He claimed too that there were abnormalities in the police inquiry: “Sobrang obvious ang nangyari, unang sumagip sa inyo mga kabaro ninyong PCG, sumunod mga kapulisan, media, at kinuhaan kayo ng statement at yun [ang] ginawang basehan [ng] nangyari, pulis report lang na galing sayo puwede na, dahil kayo ang buhay ganoon ba?”
According to him, the police neglected to examine traces and other clues in the accident scene, including a timely search that would have rescued his sister-in-law Liezel and his little nephew.
He noted that the accident occurred in the morning, but the bodies of the deceased were removed from the scene only in the afternoon.
“Wala [nang] pag-aaral man lang sa bakas ng pinangyarihan. Ang tama sa kanang bahagi ng sasakyan mo, pagtilapon at bakas [nang] kaladkad mo? Wala man lang nag-search sa buong areas para sana on time na-recover yung mag-ina, meron sanang buhay na naisalba, yun pa sana ang magpatunay kung tama ba talaga ang statement ninyo. Umaga nangyari, binitbit ang bangkay hapon na,” he said.
“Dahil wala kaming witness para magpatunay na mali ang nakasaad sa report na sinasabi ni Mr. Baclagon na blind spot at overtake ang ginawa ng apat na biktima, ganoon po ba? Kung wala kaming witness wala ba kaming ibang option para patunayan ‘yong pagkasawi nila?” Philip Jayson asked.
Meanwhile, PCG Commander Severino Destura defended Baclagon against the Mones and Canja families in a phone call Monday with Palawan News, pleading with them to stop threatening him and just give their facts if they are not happy with the decision.
He further emphasized that the PCG did not use influence to have the case dismissed, even though they rescued Baclagon on the day of the accident.
“Walang ginawa ang Coast Guard dito sa Palawan para impluwensyahan ang imbestigasyon ng kaso,” Destura said, citing they even relieved Baclagon from his post in southern Palawan.
Destura said that the dismissal of the case was based on the investigation of the police.
“Unfair siya sa tao (Baclagon) at unfair siya sa organization namin. Hinayaan namin ang pulis at prosecutor na imbestigahan ang kaso,” he added.
He further said Baclagon is constantly harassed and threatened by members of the two families, who are seeking a settlement of P1.5 million in damages.
“Alam n’yo ba kung magkano ang hinihingi sa kanya, P1.5 milyon. Kung tutuusin, unfair yan,” he said. “Ang tama ng sasakyan nasa kanang side, may witness naman na iprinisinta,” Destura said.
On the other hand, a police official who asked not to be named said the City Police Station 2 filed the case based on the result of their investigation.
“Ginawa namin lahat, na file namin ang kaso base sa imbestigasyon. Naiintindihan namin ang pamilya, pero kung may mailabas silang witness sana na willing magsalita. Kasi sa ngayon, puro lang ispekulasyon, hindi natin magagamit sa korte at nakakagulo lang,” the official said in a statement.
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