9 QC cops canned, probed

The chiefs of the criminal investigation unit and homicide section of the Central Police District (CPD) and seven of their men involved in the alleged harassment and illegal arrest of a Filipino-Chinese businessman were ordered relieved yesterday by Metro Manila police chief Director Edgar Aglipay.

Aglipay also created a team headed by his deputy for administration Chief Superintendent Rowland Albano and the police legal service to conduct summary dismissal proceedings against the nine suspects following the near-death experience of their alleged victim, businessman David So.

Those relieved were Superintendent Raul Medina, CID chief of the CPD; his deputy Superintendent Jose Garcia; Superintendent Rudy Jaraza, chief of the CPD homicide section; SPO1 Celso Jerezano, SPO1 Mangaong, SPO1 Placide, PO1 Azurin, Po1 Patrinio and PO1 Fonsico.

"They are now being investigated," said Aglipay in an interview. "If they are found to have committed the crime as charged, they will be given the heaviest penalty."

Aglipay ordered CPD head, Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Tor, to arrest the nine suspects upon receipt of a complaint of So’s lawyer, Eladio Hao, which was forwarded by the office of Interior Secretary Joey Lina.

Hao said his client was bodily dragged recently by the suspects out of the Manila Bay Club along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City. The policemen were armed with photocopies of warrants of arrests against So for various estafa cases.

The lawyer alleged the policemen were only out to extort money from his client.

So reportedly asked his captors to bring him to the nearest hospital after he had difficulty breathing during his arrest. But his pleas was ignored. He was brought to the CPD headquarters in Sikatuna Village in Quezon City.

So was allowed later to phone his friend "to work things out." It was only then that Jaraza finally agreed to take him to a hospital. But the lawman left So at the hospital after learning that he had uffered a mild stroke and needs an immediate bypass operation. Hao said his client almost died due to the suspects’ incompetence.

It was the second time Aglipay sacked Medina for alleged misdeeds. At the time of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Sen. Ping Lacson, Medina, who was then the Pasay City police chief, was sacked after an inspection team videotaped his men "sleeping on the job" and not wearing proper uniforms.

Aglipay said he will not hesitate to dismiss the nine suspects from the service once found guilty as charged in the So case.