THE OFFICE of the Ombudsman has ordered the suspension of nine policemen from the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) for misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service.
Slapped with one-year suspension from office without pay, pursuant to the Civil Service Commission Resolution No. 1101502, were Senior Inspector Ritchie Gohee, Police Officer 3 Ritchie Jocson, Police Officer 3 Adrian Mananquil, Police Officer 2 Sonny Pesales, Police Officer 2 Justin Positar, Police Officer 2 Arthur Torres, Police Officers Jake Mart Maquiling, Leevic Jade Longno, and Rogelio Zamora.
The order dated February 28, 2018, was signed by Graft Investigator Ma. Josenia Nero and approved by Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang.
The order also directed the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Napolcom Center to implement the decision in accordance with law, with the request to promptly submit to the Ombudsman the compliance report.
The Ombudsman, in the same order, dismissed the administrative complaint against private respondent Ryan Jereza.
The order is based on the complaint filed by SPO3 Roberto Bernas Arrazola Jr., who was assigned at the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (Noppo), on June 25, 2014 against the said police officers based on the incident on June 3, 2013 when he reportedly attended a mediation hearing at the village hall of Barangay Granada relative to the complaint filed by Jereza against him.
After the mediation and while he was about to leave the barangay hall, members of the Police Station 5 headed by Gohee together with other respondents cordoned the premises while pointing at him their high-powered firearms.
Gohee reportedly went inside the barangay hall and inquired from Punong Barangay Alfredo Talimodao if there was any commotion that happened in the area which Talimodao denied.
Despite the punong barangay's pronouncement, Gohee allegedly searched Arrazola and took from him his service firearm and handcuffed him despite his pleadings in front of his wife.
When reached for a comment about the suspension of the policemen, Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo, BCPO officer-in-charge, said he has not yet to receive the suspension order but the respondents have already received the copies of the order.
He said that the suspension order must come from Camp Crame to the Police Regional Office (PRO) Western Visayas in Iloilo to implement the one-year suspension.
The respondents have already filed their respective motions for reconsideration.
Gohee is now the Police Station 4 commander while other respondents have been assigned to different police stations, Ebreo said.