Junk shop owners to file charges vs cops

LAGUNA –Junk shop owners have cried foul over what they perceived as improper police procedure in conducting checkpoints in the province.

Jose Apolonio, owner of Apolonio Junk shop, and Raffy Pastrana, president of Pastrana Trading Co., expressed their grievances over the harassment by some policemen allegedly used by unidentified groups for their own business interests.

The traders also called on the Philippine National Police particularly the Calabarzon police command to conduct an investigation on the alleged improper checkpoint, causing the business operation of the small junk shop owners to be affected.

The traders vowed to file administrative charges against policemen at the Regional Internal Affair Services (RIAS).

Apolonio said two policemen on a patrol car blocked their truck loaded with scrap and used bottles while traveling toward Barangay Banlic in Cabuyao, Laguna between 2 a.m. on Aug. 5.

The policemen ignored several documents they had presented and ordered the driver to proceed to the police station, he said.

Apolonio said at the police station, an unidentified lawyer and businessman threatened to charge him in court if he refused to cooperate.

The arresting police officers impounded the truck and charges for violation of RA 5700 Section 623 were filed the following day against them, he added.

Pastrana said he experienced the same fate of Apolonio in the hands of police.

The cases are pending at the Cabuyao and Calamba Prosecutor’s Offices, while the truck and confiscated several scraps were impounded.   – Ed Amoroso