Internet café firm sues 4 cops for planting evidence

MANILA, Philippines - An Internet café firm has filed charges against four police officers who allegedly planted stolen items in the company’s warehouse during an “illegal” raid.

Assistant logistics officer Federico Eugenio of Digital Paradise Inc. (DPI), which runs the Netopia chain of Internet cafés, said yeserday he filed a case before the Office of the Ombudsman on Sept. 16 against Police Officers 1 Joel Manuel Ana and Ronnie Failoga and Police Officer 3 Demetrio Prieto of the Highway Patrol Group, and Police Officer 1 Samuel Dones of the Pasig police.

Eugenio said the policemen and four others, all in civilian clothes but carrying rifles and .45 caliber handguns, forced their way into the DPI’s warehouse along Carlos Caparas street in Pasig City on the night of Sept. 13.

Security guard Michael Manese said he saw the policemen break the warehouse’s padlock and bring in boxes that were later found to contain stolen computers. He said the lawmen then stole office equipment from the warehouse as well as cell phones from employees in the warehouse compound.

Menese said the policemen then beat him up and forced him to open the warehouse door, after which they declared that the stolen computers were being kept in the warehouse.