Controversial Police Colonel Hansel M. Marantan on Tuesday reassumed his post as NCR Regional Chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
Marantan was reinstated on orders of CIDG national chief Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. after the colonel testified at the 19 April Senate committee hearing in the presence of senators Ronald dela Rosa, Francis Tolentino and JV Ejercito.
His reinstatement was confirmed by the CIDG national office yesterday, taking effect on 1 May 2023.
Marantan became controversial over charges linking him and his men to alleged an “hulidap” or robbery and extortion operation against Chinese nationals during a Paranaque raid.
“We thought there were pieces of evidence to back up the allegations,” Marantan said. ”It is very basic in investigation that before you can make accusations, there should be a complaint/affidavit from the victims. But there was no such complaint affidavit from the supposed complainants or victims.”
The13 Chinese nationals in an affidavit said they were not complaining and that there were no irregularities committed by Marantan and his team.
The bemedaled Marantan also won praise from senators and local politicians for his handling of cases of violence, the latest of which was the 4 March massacre of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and eight other people,
At the committee hearing, the senators commended Marantan for successfully enforcing 13 search warrants on the home and properties of fugitive Rep. Arnulfo Teves.
The warrants led to the arrest of six suspects and the filing of murder cases against them, including Teves, tagged as the “mastermind” of the Degamo killing.
Dela rosa, a former national police chief, praised Marantan for actions that he said defused the tension in Negros Oriental.
Degamo’s widow, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, who also attended the hearing, made a glowing endorsement of Marantan. “We don’t want many men on the ground but only those who are passionate about their job. Si Colonel Marantan, hindi natatakot gawin ang kanyang trabaho (he’s not afraid to do his job). Sana ma-assign siya sa Negros.”
Marantan led a combined police-military team that enforced the search warrants in Negros because no local policemen were allegedly willing to cooperate and do it. Marantan’s team was backed up by the AFP.
In reaction to this revelation, a visibly incensed dela Rosa lambasted the Negros police for refusing to help their comrades from the national headquarters.
For his part, Tolentino sought to clarify Marantan’s status at the CIDG. Marantan said alleged irregularities involving his men made him submit a courtesy resignation as he invoked “command responsibility”. But no case was ever filed, according to Marantan, who was eventually awarded the PNP Medal of Valor by Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla.