4 cops charged for illegal arrest of fruit vendor

Four operatives of the Central Police District (CPD) are facing criminal charges before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly planting evidence against a fruit vendor and arresting her illegally in November 2003.

Charged were PO3 Hector Hernandez, PO2 Buenaventura Felicitas Jr., PO2 Randulf Gulferic and PO1 Jerry Pacheco, assigned at the Office of the District-Special Operations Group (ODD-SOG) at Camp Karingal, Quezon City.

Also charged were a certain "Bryan" and a number of John Does, who allegedly helped the police in planting shabu on Lily Quinones, 25, fruit vendor, a resident of 740 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave., Quezon City.

Administrative and grave misconduct charges will also be filed against the four policemen.

Quinones said she was selling fruits at España-Blumentrit, Sampaloc, Manila on Nov. 5, 2003 when two vehicles parked in front of her store at around 6:15 pm.

She said she approached the vehicle thinking that its passengers will buy fruits. But they introduced themselves as policemen and ordered her to board the vehicle on the strength of a warrant of arrest for selling illegal drugs.

The vendors in the area, who witnessed Quinones’ arrest, immediately reported the incident to the Blumentrit police station.

In her sworn statement, Quinones said, while on board the vehicle, one of the policemen brought out a plastic sachet containing shabu, which allegedly belongs to her.

Before reaching Camp Caringal, she claimed the respondents demanded P20,000 from her in exchange for not filing charges against her.

A police blotter signed by Police Inspector Manuel de Guzman, PCP commander of the Blumentritt police station, showed that Quinones was indeed arrested in Manila, belying the respondents’ report that she was arrested at the Encounter Disco Pub in Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City.