8 Navotas cops face raps over torture

MANILA, Philippines — Eight members of the Navotas police are in trouble after they allegedly tortured two men and forced the victims to confess that they shot dead two people in Barangay Bangkulasi on Nov. 3.

Through their lawyer Cid Stephen Andeza, the victims filed a complaint before the police Internal Affairs Service (IAS) against the suspects for grave misconduct, serious irregularities in the performance of duty, oppression, conduct unbecoming of a police officer and violations of the Anti-Torture Act as well as the Rights of Persons Arrested, Detained or Under Custodial Investigation.

The police personnel – four staff sergeants, a master sergeant, a corporal and two patrolmen – are intelligence operatives and investigators of the Navotas police station.

There is no word if they have been administratively relieved from their posts.

In a nine-page complaint dated Nov. 20, a copy of which was obtained by The STAR, the victims said they were arrested by police in Barangay Longos, Malabon on Nov. 8.

The victims said they were tagged as suspects in a fatal shooting in Navotas.

“After securing custody of the supposed suspects, the police officers, acting in conspiracy, willfully tortured and maltreated them,” the complaint stated.

The complainants suffered bruises and contusions after they were allegedly tortured by the police officers.

One of the victims sustained a wound to his head.

Despite the injuries, the victims said the duty jailer and head of the Navotas police detention facility did not intervene and allowed the beatings to continue.

Left with no other options and fearing for their lives, the victims said they were forced to execute an extrajudicial confession, which the police officers used as evidence for the murder complaint filed against them before the Navotas prosecutor’s office.

The documentation of their false confession, according to the victims, was made without the presence of a lawyer.

Andeza urged the IAS to conduct an impartial investigation and place the police officers under preventive suspension to prevent them from influencing the case.

Andeza said the police officers should be dismissed from the service, their benefits forfeited and prohibited from holding any government posts.