Lina orders check on police harassment of Chinoy businessman

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr. yesterday directed Director Edgardo Aglipay, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director, to conduct an investigation on the alleged harassment and illegal arrest committed by certain police officials and personnel of the Central Police District on a Filipino-Chinese businessman over the weekend.

Ordered investigated are P/Supt. Raul Medina, CPD’s Criminal and Investigation Unit chief, his deputy Supt. Jose Garcia, Supt. Rudy Jaraza, chief of the homicide section, SPO1 Celso Jerezano, SPO1 Mangaong, SPO1 Placide, PO1 Azurin, PO1 Patinio and PO1 Fonsico.

"I’ve asked Gen. Aglipay to immediately start the investigation on the report and if evidence warrants, to impose the appropriate sanction against the erring policemen," Lina said.

Lina issued the directive after receiving a report that the CPD officials and personnel arrested last Friday a certain David So, a businessman, while inside the Manila Bay Club and who almost died of a heart attack.

Eladio Hao, lawyer of So, claimed that his client was allegedly dragged by the policemen into a police car and was denied access to a hospital when he asked for medical attention after suffering shortness of breath.

According to the report, the policemen presented So with various arrest warrants over several pending estafa cases, however, Hao claimed the policemen were out to extort money since the arrest warrants they presented were not original copies.

So was brought to the CPD headquarters in Sikatuna Village in Quezon City while allegedly pleading to be taken to a hospital first complaining of difficulty of breathing. Minutes later, when So was allowed to phone his friends to "work things out," Jaraza allegedly finally agreed to take him to a hospital, but the lawmen left the hospital upon learning that So needs an immediate by-pass operation after suffering from a stroke.

The DILG secretary directed Aglipay to conduct a full dress investigation to ferret out the truth about the incident, and impose the necessary sanction if warranted.