FOUR former police officers in Quezon province were found guilty for attempted murder of a pedicab driver in Atimonan municipality.
Ex-SPO4 Wilson Villegas, SPO3 Noel Malabayabas, SPO2 Bryan Novo and PO2 Jhaymar Espedido of the Agdangan Municipal Police Station were sentenced from five years and eight months to ten years of imprisonment.
The four former police officers were charged for attempted murder of pedicab driver Roger Herrero Jr. on November 1, 2018.
Judge Michael Vito of the Gumaca Regional Trial Court Branch 172 rendered the decision via videoconferencing.
The former policemen were originally charged with frustrated murder.
Court records show that the four seized Herrero in Agdangan and brought him to Atimonan, where he was forced to admit several robbery cases.
The pedicab driver denied the accusations.
Despite begging for his life, one of the policemen reportedly shot Herrero in the face and left him by the roadside.
Bystanders who found the victim brought him to a hospital for treatment.
Herrero was still in the hospital when police filed robbery charges against him. He was jailed but was allowed to post bail.
Lawyers of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) defended Herrero and he was acquitted of the robbery raps.
Herrera then filed charges of frustrated murder against the four cops.
