PRO-7 orders probe vs Fuente chief, another cop

CEBU, Philippines – Police Regional Office-7 Director Prudencio Tom Bañas yesterday ordered an administrative investigation against Fuente Police Chief Wildemar Tiu and one of his men.

This was after Police Officer 1 Randy Restopa, a Field Training Police member assigned at the Talisay City Police Station, last Sunday, allegedly barged into a house and pointed a gun at one of the occupants in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Cebu City last Sunday.

Responding Mobile Patrol Group policemen arrested Restopa and brought him to the Fuente Police Station where he was detained. He, however, was released after he paid the corresponding fine for drunkenness.

It reached Bañas’ attention, however, that the police blotter did not indicate that the gun Restopa used was recovered or turned over to the station.

Yesterday, he told reporters that he already asked Chief Inspector Tiu to submit a report on the incident. Initially, he said, Tiu told him that the gun was turned over the station.

Bañas said he will have both Tiu and Restopa investigated for possible administrative offenses.

Bañas said that if Restopa is proven guilty, he will have him dismissed from service immediately. He said that as a field training policeman, Restopa should have been more conscious of the need to show he was worthy of becoming a full-fledged police officer.

Restopa, who was said to be drunk at the time of the incident, vehemently denied the allegation, saying he did not have a gun with him and that he was just responding to an alarm.

Restopa alleged that he was there because a group of youngsters were fighting and that he was trying to pacify them.

Meanwhile, a Fuente policeman who allegedly punched a taxi driver in the face yesterday morning would also be facing an administrative investigation.

Senior citizen Niña Alvez, the taxicab passenger, said that past 9 a.m. yesterday, she alighted from the taxi and since she had no change, she asked the driver to wait.

Witnesses said the taxi driver also assisted Alvez because she was having difficulty walking and was even using a cane.

The policeman allegedly suddenly arrived and told the driver to move the taxi; the driver replied that he was still assisting Alvez.

The policeman allegedly then hit the taxi driver in the face three times. When the driver parried the third strike, the policeman allegedly got more furious and handcuffed him.

A concerned citizen called the Mobile Patrol Group, which sent a team that brought the taxi driver and the police officer to the San Nicolas Police Station.

The whole incident, however, was not recorded at the police station because the policeman and the driver managed to settle their differences.

Bañas, though, ordered an investigation, saying he does not tolerate shenanigans on the part of his men.

He said that it pains him to learn that some policemen act that way, although he added that such incidents are isolated.

“Sumakit ang ulo natin dito; ang ating effort sa drugs nasugatan… hindi iniingatan ang serbisyo… (but) these are all isolated incidents.  We still continue to serve and protect,” Bañas said. —/RHM) (FREEMAN)