For withdrawing drug case: Cop points blame on team leader

A policeman who withdrew a case that his team filed before the Provincial Prosecutors' Office against two alleged drug pushers they arrested in San Fernando town last February 3 yesterday said that it is his team leader who should be investigated and not him.

SPO2 Nelson Ducay, assigned to the Cebu Provincial Police Office, said that he was ordered by his team leader S/Insp. Jason Mangaron to withdraw the case.

"Ang angay nga imbestigahon among team leader kay igo ra man kong gi-orderan nga ipa-withdraw na lang kay negative man ang resulta," he said.

His team arrested Clifford Sabayton, 28, and his brother Junrel, 22, for allegedly selling shabu in a buy-bust operation in sitio Lacaron, barangay Pitalo, San Fernando town, last February 3.

Ducay explained that his team managed to convince the personnel of the Provincial Prosecutors' Office to allow the filling charges the following day, this even without the results of laboratory examination so that the police would not be charged with arbitrary detention.

Ducay said he returned to the crime lab on February 6 and was reportedly told the tests proved the substance taken from the brothers was not shabu. Ducay said he was also advised by staff of the Provincial Prosecutors' Office to withdraw the case they filed and to release the suspects.

The Sabayton brothers were released that afternoon.

Provincial Prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba said it would have been better if Ducay just let the government prosecutors dismiss the case.

Meanwhile, Mangaron said he allowed the release of the suspects after Ducay told him that they could be charged with arbitrary detention if they continued to detain the brothers after crime lab test results yielded the absence of drugs. - Norvie S. Misa