Alcoy cops face raps

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has recommended the filing of a criminal case against police officers of Alcoy town for arresting and detaining a man without a warrant.

The man was suspected to be among those who stole  goats of one Luz Jackson.

Graft investigation and prosecution officer Avelino Macamus Jr. found substantial evidence to hold PO2 Raniel Cartin and PO1s Leon Gesim, Gerlito Estremos  and Abraham Quijano liable for arbitrary detention.

However, Macamus said Police Inspector Reyco Romaguera should be excluded in the complaint since he was out of the station during the time of the arrest and detention.

P6,000 was the recommended  bail for each respondent.

The complainant, Amelito Estillore, a resident of Barangay Guiwang, Alcoy, included Romaguera in the original complaint

He alleged that while he was sleeping between 8 to 9 p.m. on October 6, 2011, Gesim, together with a barangay councilman identified as “Eroy” went to his house and invited him to the police station for questioning.

There, he saw his neighbors Jose Earl Plando and Edward Abanilla and learned that the three of them were accused of stealing Jackson’s goats on October 5, 2011. He alleged Quijano, Gesim and Estremos forced them inside the detention cell where they stayed for the night.

In their counter-affidavit, Gesim, Estremos, Quijano and Cartin said they arrested Estillore even without a warrant because he and Abanilla and Plando were reportedly seen transporting the four goats that fit the description of those stolen from Jackson.

In his ruling, Macamus said the police officers cannot use Section 5 (b) Rule 113 as their defense because the goats went missing on October 5, 2011 and the arrest was made only on the following day. — (FREEMAN)