2 police officials face graft raps

CEBU, Philippines - The former police chief and investigator of Taboan Police station are now facing graft charges for filing thirteen fabricated cases against a person who earlier filed charges against two policemen under the same police station.

The Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices found probable cause to file charges against Police Supt. Paquito Belandres and SPO1 Elmer Abelgas for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Graft Investigator Maria Teresa Lee-Rafols elevated the case to the Regional Trial Courts after finding probable cause against Belandres and Abelgas.

Rafols recommended P30,000 bail.

The case stemmed from the complaint filed by Edgardo Briones Sr. who alleged that on January 12, 2000 his son Edgardo Briones Jr., was attacked by a barangay tanod named Ramon Monching.

Briones Sr. said the incident was witnessed by a certain PO2 Lumayag and PO3 Arturo Lawas Jr. along with other barangay tanods who did not arrest Monching.

He later learned his son and one of their witnesses were charged for attempted homicide which were subsequently dismissed.

On February 2, 2000 the younger Briones filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against police officers Lumayag and Lawas and tanods Gonzaga and Sanchez but after filing the said complaint, 13 cases were likewise filed against him.

The complainant said that all 13 cases were filed with the approval and cooperation of respondents Belandres and Abelgas.

Briones claimed they were “harassed and disturbed by the acts of respondents.”

In their counter-affidavit, Belandres and Abelgas pointed out that the incident happened while they were assigned at Police Station 6 and that they were only doing their job which included the endorsement of complaints to the Office of the City Prosecutor.

But Rafols said the respondents cannot simply give the excuse that they were just performing their duties.

“This a case of police officers getting even with civilian complainants through harassment by using their authority and power just to make sure that the complainant would buckle down and end up being the one facing multiple fabricated cases in court,” Rafols ruled.

“How could they not know the truth from fiction, especially so since they knew that their complainants, police officers Lumayag and Lawas, had an axe to grind against Edgardo Briones Jr?,” resolution reads. (FREEMAN)