The operations, done without any search warrant, trigged a "people power" by Muslim businessmen in front the Eastern Police District (EPD) headquarters along Caruncho Avenue in Barangay Pinagbuhatan.
The Muslim businessmen appealed to President Arroyo to stop policemen from the NCRPO from unabashedly conducting "kotong" operations in the guise of anti-illegal drugs raids.
EPD director Chief Superintendent Oscar Valenzuela pacified the angry businessmen as he promised them that there would be no whitewash in the investigation against PO3 Joel Borda, PO2 Atyusto Rama, and PO1s Renato Ameng, Raymund Boco, Joel Cosme and Roger Giulagin, all of the Caloocan City anti-illegal drugs and special operations task force (AID-SOTF).
De Leon tasked Superintendent Rogelio Damazo, NCRPO intelligence chief, to determine the culpability of the six Caloocan City policemen as he vowed to punish them if found negligent.
Valenzuela told The Star that the six policemen coordinated their "follow-up anti-drug operations" with the Pasig City police.
At about 1:30 a.m. Friday, the six policemen flagged down the black Honda Civic owned by Khalid Macmac, 48, a resident of Block 1 Lot 19 Garden Royale Villa in Barangay Pinagbuhatan, at the corner of Market Avenue and Baltazar street in Barangay Palatiw.
Initial reports showed that the six policemen ordered Macmac to go with them for "further investigation" but the Muslim businessman refused because of their failure to produce any warrant or document linking him to any illegal drugs trade.
Before the six cops knew it, they were surrounded by several Muslim men and prevented them from leaving with the suspect.
The stand-off ended when Valenzuela arrived and brought both parties to the EPD headquarters for initial investigation. "Our Muslim brothers listened to my appeal and they went home peacefully," Valenzuela said.
It was the second time in two weeks that the Muslims staged a "people power" to "free" their colleagues arrested during police anti-illegal drugs operations.
Last March 29, seven AID-SOTF operatives from the Taguig police arrested Palaez Maradang, also in Garden Royale Villa, but failed to bring him out of the area because of an angry mob. Valenzuela also came to the rescue of the cornered Taguig cops. — With Rainier Allan Ronda, Pete Laude