Garbo orders 2 cops dismissed over detainee’s death

MANILA, Philippines - National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Chief Superintendent Marcelo Garbo Jr. ordered yesterday the conduct of summary dismissal proceedings against two San Juan policemen for beating a detainee to death last July 27.

He ordered Inspector Nicanor Lambino and Police Officer 2 Bernard Lucom to report to the NCRPO to answer the administrative charges against them for the death of helper Rey Dumaplin, 40.

Garbo tasked Senior Superintendent Michel Filart, head of the NCRPO’s regional investigation and detective management division, to speed up the hearing of the case against Lambino and Lucom so “they would be weeded out of the police force immediately.”

“We don’t need policemen like them in the police force. We have so many recruits who would replace them,” he said.

For his part, Filart said he would summon Lambino and Lucom on Tuesday to hear their side.

Eastern Police District director Chief Superintendent Miguel Laurel has filed murder and physical injuries charges against Lambino and Lucom before the San Juan prosecutor’s office and Filart is waiting for a copy of the document to start the administrative hearing against them.

According to Filart, he would also refer the case against the two San Juan policemen to the Regional Human Rights Office Service for a separate probe of the incident.

Dumaplin, along with fellow helper Andy Ramos, 27, were taken to the San Juan police last July 26 after their employer, Salud Reyes, 66, claimed they took her bag containing P107,000 cash and important belongings.

Lambino and Lucom entered the jail and reportedly took turns in beating up Dumaplin and Ramos to force them to admit their crime. Dumaplin later went to sleep and failed to wake up the following morning.

Ramos was released from prison after Reyes executed an affidavit of desistance. Ramos kept on telling friends that Reyes only misplaced her bag, investigators said.