19 Bago policemen face kidnapping, torture raps

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Nineteen policemen of the Bago City Police and the Regional Public Safety Management Battalion are facing multiple charges at the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman-Visayas for the Military and other law enforcement offices.

The charges were filed by five civilians against Supt. Simeon Gane, former Bago City Police chief, Chief Insp. Lino Dalisay of the RPSMB’s 4th Maneuver Platoon, PO3 Napoleon Espinosa and other policemen for kidnapping, serious illegal detention and torture.

Espinosa said he received a copy of the complaints last Wednesday (Aug. 1). Also included in the complaint were Revolutionary Proletarian Army (RPA)-District 4 commander Rene Campos and several other civilians who were given ten days to answer the complaints, Espinosa said.

The charges were filed by Demetrio Despojo of Brgy. Punta Taytay of Bacolod, Roque and Reynaldo Vinco both of Brgy. Balangisag and sitio Barter Mansesa of Brgy. Poblacion in Bago City and Jojin Calisor of Pontevedra town. They were arrested in Brgy. Antipuluhan by joint operatives of Bago City Police, RPSMB and the RPA.

The complainants alleged that the policemen illegally arrested and detained them in May 2011 at Hacienda Aurelio in Brgy. Antipuluhan, and they were not allowed to seek the help of their legal counsels. They were threatened with guns, they further claimed.

Espinosa, however, said they arrested Despojo and his companions based on the complaints of about 30 farm laborers in the 148-hectare land in Hacienda Aurelio who claimed that the suspects threatened and coerced them.

The policeman denied that the arresting them threatened Despojo and his companions, saying that they asked the latter if they could go with the law enforcers peacefully.

Espinosa also said the charges against him and the other policemen were just harassment since they had filed complaints for threat and coercion against the complainants. (FREEMAN)