What happened in Barangay Lumutan?

Another "shootout" in Quezon Province. 13 killed, 11 of them on the spot, the two others dying while being taken to a hospital. The place was a joint police-military checkpoint near the Plaridel poblacion, and the time was broad daylight, around 3:30 p.m.

This morning, CALABARZON police confirmed one of those killed was Police Supt. Alfredo P. Consemino, member of PNPA Class 1986, and just recently commander of the Regional HQS Support Group within the MIMAROPA regional police HQS. His name also cropped up as one of the nominees for a party-list group called ACTS OFW, which COMELEC earlier said did not have the proper credentials to represent OFW's and therefore could not participate in the elections in May.

What is very disturbing is that these men have been branded as guns-for-hire, a criminal armed group, bad elements proceeding to Metro Manila from Bicol with intent to commit crimes, the nature of which no one could now ever clarify, even the authorities now speaking about the incident.

Let me just phrase the questions in my head and the questions other people are asking:

Why were they killed right there? 

Was there no other way to neutralize the vehicle and ascertain whether those men were "legitimate targets" or were just not sure it was government agents flagging them? 

Shouldn't we have a means to block vehicles running through checkpoints without firing on them first? 

Who fired first? 

Or did those men ever fire at the checkpoint?

The dead men can no longer speak for themselves. They can no longer defend themselves. And their families will now suffer the consequences of them being branded as criminals, branded by the same organization that they may have served well once when they were alive.

But the questions about their deaths will continue to be discussed everywhere:

Here are the names of the 13, as passed on by DZRH listeners who were also asking the same questions:

1. VICTORINO SIMAN ATIENZA JR.-BRGY MAUNONG,

    CALAMBA

2. GERRY ANCERO SIMAN

3. CONRADO DECILLO, DRIVER

4. LEONARDO CATAPANG MARASIGAN, ISAFP

5. VICTOR GARCIA GONZALES

6. PSUPT ALFREDO PEREZ CONSEMINO

7. SSG ARMANDO ARANDA LESCANO

8. JT VALDEZ

9. SPO1 GRUET MANTUANO- BRGY ILAYA, CALAPAN

11. TIRSO LONTOC

12. SSG MAXIMO MANALASTAS PELAYO ISAFP

13. JIM BIN JUSTINIANO

If you have clearer information about the events that transpired at Barangay Tanauan, Plaridel, Quezon on the afternoon of January 6, 2013, give me a call or text me at 0915-535-4006. Let's just help each other tresh this thing out. For the benefit of the families who may have no knowledge at all of the real reasons behind the death of these men. And for our own benefit as Filipinos.