Explainer: Why were lighter penalties given to cops involved in Jemboy slay?

MANILA, Philippines — Six months after the shooting of 17-year-old Jehrode "Jemboy" Baltazar, mistakenly identified, the Navotas City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 286 issued the conviction of five involved police officers on Tuesday.

However, Baltazar's family believes the court's decision falls short of delivering justice for their son's killing, citing the lighter penalties imposed by the court on the involved cops.

“Lima silang makakalaya, isa lang 'yung maconvict tapos apat na taon lang. Pero 'yung anak ko habambuhay siyang wala na,” Jemboy’s mother, Rodaliza Baltazar said in a press conference at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday. 

(Five of them will be released and only one will be convicted and sentenced to just four years. But my child will be gone forever.)

The DOJ in the same press conference vowed that it will exhaust all legal remedies to secure a murder conviction before the Court of Appeals (CA). 

It could be recalled that the Justice department indicted the six cops on the charge of murder due to the incident.

"Marami po tayong mga nakitang mga areas at arguments doon sa desisyon na pwede na nating i-argue on appeal. Isa na po diyan 'yung conspiracy, 'yung isa 'yung intent to kill, 'yung reasonableness of the action taken by the police and the reaction that the police had noong medyo patakas si Jemboy," he added. 

(We have seen many areas and arguments in the decision that we can now argue during the appeal. One of those is conspiracy, another is intent to kill, the reasonableness of the action taken by the police, and the reaction of the police when Jemboy was trying to escape.)

The involved officers, six out of the eight who participated in the operation in Barangay North Bay Boulevard South Kaunlaran resulting in Baltazar's death, include PSSg. Gerry Maliban, PEMS. Roberto Balais Jr., PSSg. Nikko Esquilon, PCpl. Edmard Jade Blanco, Patrolman Benedict Mangada and PSSG. Antonio Bugayong.

Maliban received a conviction for homicide, while Balais, Esquilon, Blanco and Mangada were charged with illegal discharge of firearms. The court acquitted Bugayong of all charges.

Murder, as defined by the Revised Penal Code (RPC), has its