Cop faces ‘torture’ raps

A 42-year-old laundry woman is now fearing for her and her family’s safety after she divulged a nightmarish experience at the hands of a Malabon City policeman who allegedly tortured her to admit guilt in a recent robbery.

In her complaint made at the Northern Police District-Internal Affairs Service (NPD-IAS) office, Angelita Millena charged PO2 Reynaldo Gabatin, a Malabon City police investigator, of allegedly pistol whipping and torturing her with the use of electric shock to force her to own a robbery and threatened her with death if she squealed about her ordeal.

The STAR tried to get in touch yesterday with Gabatin at the Malabon police station to get his side of Millena’s accusations but according to his fellow policemen, Gabatin had taken a day off.

Millena claimed that last Nov. 11, a robbery took place at the house of couple Rene and Beth Mangsal on Chavez street, Barangay Tenajeros, Malabon City where she works as a laundry woman.

According to her, the burglars gained entry into Mangsal’s dwelling through the roof and ransacked its rooms. The unidentified robbers reportedly took two cell phones, assorted jewelry and some cash. The Mangsals were in the province when the robbery took place.

Millena added that at about 5 in the afternoon of the same date, when the Mangsals returned, she was summoned for questioning about the robbery.

When she arrived at the Mangsals’ residence, Millena said, she was met by two policemen in civilian clothes and was brought inside a room where she was allegedly forced to admit the crime.

"Gabatin slapped me several times, poked a gun in my mouth to force me to tell him who were my companions. But I could not tell him anything for I’m innocent," Millena said.

Unable to extract any information from Millena, Gabatin allegedly hit her right knee with a pistol twice.

Unconvinced, the two policemen, one identified later as PO2 Peter Rios, brought Millena to the Malabon police station were she was allegedly tortured with the use of electricity.

Failing to force Millena to own the crime, the two policemen released her. And to appease Millena, Rios allegedly bought her a fried chicken. –Pete Laude