CEBU, Philippines - A police officer is facing charges before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly choking the former vice mayor of Sogod, Cebu, inside the investigation room of the Fuente Police Station.
Dean Severo Dosado, 52, a resident of Sitio Sto. Niño, Barangay Poblacion, Sogod, alleged that on November 16, 2014, SPO2 Philip Plasus, forced and dragged him into the cell and choked him. He filed a complaint for frustrated murder.
“…the complainant was not able to breathe momentarily during the time respondent pressed the neck of complainant; that complainant could have died had the respondent did not release the complainant,” the judicial affidavit reads.
Dosado said prior to the incident, he requested for a police blotter against Johnson Clark Gayrozaga, whom he arrested for alleged attempted arson, theft, and grave threats against his friend Cheryl Labay, invoking his right to carry out a citizen’s arrest.
He said Labay called the Mobile Police Group after Gayrozaga attempted to set on fire her house in Private, Cebu City following an argument.
Dosado added that the police officers arrived and immediately looked for Gayrozaga. He informed them that Gayrozaga was in his room.
“They went to his room but Gayrozaga did not come out despite the knocks of the Mobile Police Group,” he said.
Dosado then volunteered to help the police and knock the door of Gayrozaga so hard, causing Gayrozaga to come out from his room.
Dosado said he threw a glass of water at the face of Gayrozaga and the police immediately held Gayrozaga and brought him to the Police Station 2.
At the police station, Dosado said he approached Plasus and requested for a blotter against Gayrozaga. He was told to wait because he will ask their head and the investigator on duty to attend to his request.
“After almost an hour SPO2 Plasus told me that my case will be referred to the Barangay for settlement but I insisted to blotter Gayrozaga because he has committed crime,” the judicial affidavit reads.
However, Dosado said he insisted that the incident be recorded in a blotter.
He said Plasus allegedly told him angrily to fill out the information data. He added Plasus likewise told Gayrozaga to fill out a complaint form against him for malicious mischief.
Dosado said Plasus told him to hurry up since he would need to put him inside the detention cell. He alleged Plasus grabbed his arms and dragged him forcibly going to the detention cell from the investigation room despite his plea to wait for his lawyer.
Dosado said that Plasus then choked him. Plasus allegedly only released his hands from Dosado’s neck upon the intervention of Labay.
Dosado attached the medical certificate in his complaint.
Labay corroborated the statement of Dosado against Plasus. — Mylen P. Manto/ATO (FREEMAN)