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Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star
June 27, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — A Manila court has acquitted 12 police officers, including Col. Hansel Marantan, of murder charges in connection with the infamous “rubout” in Atimonan, Quezon over 12 years ago.
Marantan and police officers Ramon Balauag, Grant Gollod, John Paolo Carracedo, Timoteo Orig, Joselito de Guzman, Carlo Cataquiz, Arturo Sarmiento, Eduardo Oronan, Nelson Indal, Wryan Sardea and Rodel Talento were acquitted by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 27 in a decision handed down last June 23.
They were involved in a joint police and military operation in January 2013 that killed 13 men, including suspected jueteng lord Vic Siman at a checkpoint along Maharlika Highway in Atimonan, where Marantan headed the operation as part of the Calabarzon regional police.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) maintained that it was a legitimate police operation, while the National Bureau of Investigation found the incident a “rubout” with charges of multiple murder filed against the involved policemen.
However, over 12 years after the incident, the Manila court found there was “actual and imminent” danger on the police officers, all of whom were mentioned with their former police ranks in the decision penned by presiding judge Teresa Patrominio-Soriaso.
“The initial unlawful attack on Marantan with the use of a firearm hit and seriously injured Marantan and sent him to the ground. The offensive act of shooting Marantan showed intention to cause injury and constituted unlawful aggression. Under the circumstances, the peril to the lives and limbs of the policemen and soldiers was actual and imminent,” said the ruling.
The court also mentioned that the Montero SUVs that carried most of the people killed in the incident including Siman were “fully armed.”
It noted, “The force used to overcome the unlawful aggression was reasonable.”
Soriaso maintained in her decision the court’s acquittal of the group of Marantan “justified circumstance of fulfillment of duty.”
The court ordered the bail bonds posted by each of the accused “cancelled and released.”
It also said it would archive the case filed against police officer Al Bhazar Jailani pending his arrest.
Since being reinstated in 2017, Marantan held various positions in the police, including as chief of the Davao City Police Office where he asked to be relieved due to health reasons this month.
The PNP has yet to comment on the decision of the Manila court.
PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo has yet to reply as of 5 p.m. yesterday when asked about the court’s decision and the disposition of the police force on the officers.
Marantan also did not reply when asked to comment about his acquittal. — Emmanuel Tupas
