Mabolo police chief faces probe

 CEBU, Philippines - A house helper filed a complaint before the Investigation and Detective Management Branch of the Cebu City Police Office against Mabolo Police chief, Sr. Insp. Sara Jean Recla.

The house helper claimed Recla allegedly embarrassed and belittled her in front of her younger sister and other people at the police station recently.

Fatima (real name withheld to protect her sister’s identity), went to the IDMB yesterday to formally file a complaint against Recla, whom Fatima said, accused her of selling off her 14-year-old sister Riza (real name also withheld).

She said Recla even denied her custody of her sister, whom she said was almost raped by a neighbor.

Fatima said Recla made her kneel before Riza for 45 minutes and confiscated her cellular phone and Riza’s P45,000.

“Gibastos ko niya, gi-underestimate porke wala ko’y grado. Gihimo ko niyang iro. Nagkurog ko nagluhod kay kung di daw ko muluhod, iya kong prisuhon na wala’y kagawasan. (She maligned me, underestimated me just because I lack education. She treated me like a dog. I was shaking while kneeling because if I won’t kneel, she said she will detain me and I will  never be released),” Fatima said crying.

This stemmed from the case involving Fatima’s sister, Riza, which was amicably settled last Monday, the same day when Recla allegedly “emotionally hurt” her.

Fatima, who works as a house helper at Aurora Tower, Barangay Mabolo, narrated to reporters that last Friday, a neighbor at the condo unit tried to rape her sister Riza who confirmed the incident in an interview.

Riza said she escaped from the 37-year-old suspect and was only able to tell her sister about her ordeal the following day. They then went to the police station to report the incident.

The suspect was arrested and detained at the Mabolo Police detention cell for two nights.

Last Monday, the suspect’s mother negotiated with the siblings and eventually settled the matter after paying Riza P70,000.

“Ako man ‘tong kabubut-on na i-settle na lang kay kapoy na unya minghangyo sad ang mama sa lalaki. Tagaan daw mi niya og pahalipay kung makagawas  iyang anak, gidawat na lang sad nako. (It was my decision to settle because it’s exhausting and the suspect’s mother also pleaded with us. She said she will give us a reward if her son is freed. I just accepted it),” Riza said.

After receiving the P70,000 cash, Riza turned over the money to Fatima, who then gave PO1 Arde Lyn Palanas  P3,700 for the snacks of the police.

“Gidawat ni Palanas ang kwarta ug miana nga ‘ako na’y bahala ani. Diretso na lang mo og lakaw ug wala na’y lingi-lingi. Amo na lang pud gisunod. (Palanas accepted the money and said ‘I will take care of this. Just go and don’t look back’. We just obeyed), ” Riza further said.

The two of them went home at 11 am but they were allegedly made to go back to the police in the afternoon as ordered by Recla, who just knew of the case.

They returned and there, Recla allegedly hurled hurtful words against her. Fatima’s bag was checked and the P45,000 cash inside it was confiscated.

Recla also allegedly inspected Fatima’s cellular phone and saw her and Riza’s picture wearing two-piece swimsuits.

“Ana ang hepe na mura man ka’g dili helper uy, naka-manicure pa ka. Igat-igat man ka, aringkingking man ka. Sige na lang tawon hilak si Ate. Gi-agwanta na lang nako akong mga nadungog sa ilang gipang-ingon ni Ate. (The chief said ‘You don’t look like a helper. You even have manicured nails. You’re a flirt.’ My sister kept crying. I just endured everything I heard them say against my sister),” Riza said, adding that Recla threatened to kick her sister.

Riza further said that Recla ordered her sister to kneel and apologize to her. Riza said she told Fatima to stand up because she did not do anything wrong.

Last Wednesday, the sisters went back to the police station and from there, Fatima was no longer able to get Riza back.

Recla, in a separate interview, denied the accusations, adding that they are studying any possible charges that they can also file against Fatima. She said they filed a case for acts of lasciviousness against the man who tried to rape Riza.

She said she submitted Palanas to a pre-charge evaluation for not informing her of the case. IDMB head, Chief Insp. Bonifacio Garciano, said they will investigate the case.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices indicted a police officer for his failure to inform a policeman’s wife of her right to remain silent during custodial interrogation.

Graft investigator Conrado Estreller Jr. found enough evidence to elevate the case against PO2 Marvin Sanson for violation of paragraph (a), Section 4 of the Republic Act 7438 which defines the rights of persons arrested, detained or under custodial investigation.

“Sanson cannot hide under the cloak of Invitation or Request when he apprehended the complainant, brought her to Fuente Police Station and questioned her, without counsel, about the whereabouts of the armalite rifle which eventually elicited illegal extrajudicial confession from the complainant,” the resolution reads.

He recommended P20,000 bail for Sanson’s temporary liberty.  The graft investigator said that instead of respecting the right of Christine Solante to remain silent, Sanson interrogated her to divulge the whereabouts of the rifle.

Esteller said that based on the law, no person shall be arrested without a warrant of arrest aside from exceptional cases. Esteller elevated the criminal case of arbitrary detention before the court.

In their counter-affidavits, respondents denied the allegations.

SPO1 Rene Sultan, a co-respondent, said that on September 30, he received an alarm that a woman had an armalite rifle in her car. He added they apprehended Solante then they proceeded to her apartment.

Sultan, said he only waited in the sala while Sanson went upstairs to get the rifle.

Sanson also denied the allegations.

 In his resolution, Esteller said that based on the evidence, Solante did not violate any law at the time of her arrest.

“The M16 armalite rifle allegedly reported by a security guard was not in the possession of the complainant when respondents accosted her to the police station for investigation,” resolution reads.

Esteller dismissed the complaint against Sultan for lack of evidence along with the robbery complaint. (FREEMAN)