PNP probes Pasay raid, rape

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS) started yesterday its investigation of the alleged administrative lapses committed by members of the Southern Police District (SPD) Special Operations Group when they raided a Pasay City nightclub last Oct. 23.

During the raid, several women working at the nightclub were arrested and were taken to the SPD headquarters. One of the arrested women later appeared at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and accused the raiding group’s leader, Superintendent Erwin Emelo, of raping her in his office.

In a related development, the NBI’s National Capital Region office said yesterday it is set to issue a subpoena today, summoning Emelo to appear before the NBI-NCR on Monday.

The subpoena would be hand-delivered to the SPD.

According to the NBI, videos taken from the Miss Universe Club showed Emelo leading the raiding team. He entered the nightclub at around 1:25 a.m. along with other policemen.

The nightclub reportedly has at least four closed-circuit television cameras at the parking lot, entrance, dining area and showroom.

Emelo went on voluntary relief last Oct. 25. He and the members of the SOG raiding team are now under the custody of the SPD’s District Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit to prevent them from interfering with the probe.

Aside from Emelo, some of the 12 policemen who reportedly joined the raid were identified by the NBI as Senior Police Officer 1 Rome Cantal; Police Officers 3 Roderick Alcantara, Richard Dumalaog, Michael Villano, and Enrique Daya Jr.; and Police Officers 2 Eric Matthew Celario and Dwine Angelo Lalangan.

“They have been relieved last Oct. 28. We have referred the case to the IAS for them to determine their culpabilities after it was initially found that there were lapses in procedure. They are now on floating status,” said SPD spokesperson Superintendent Jenny Tecson. – With Evelyn Macairan