Man tags Sogod cops for abuse

FOUR policemen of Sogod town are being accused of kicking a civilian in the stomach for the trouble the guy allegedly had caused them.

The policemen had rushed to the house of civilian Danny Montecalbo, 38, last Saturday to respond to a request for help when Montecalbo and his father were fighting.

When they arrived, Montecalbo’s father told them that he and his son had settled their differences and that there was no need for the police to arrest his son.

But the policemen insisted on arresting Montecalbo.

Montecalbo, in complaining the action of the Sogod policemen to the National Police Commission (Napolcom), said he had signaled to the cops that he was “surrendering” but they kicked him in the stomach instead.

Sun.Star Cebu is withholding the names of the four Sogod policemen pending their answers to Montecalbo’s complaint. It tried but failed to contact the police chief at press time.

Montecalbo said that when they reached the police station, the policemen locked him in the cell.

In the cell, he said, the inmates mauled him, shaved his head, eyebrows, armpit and pubic hair.

The four policemen did nothing to stop the inmates and laughed at his appearance instead.

In a separate interview, Napolcom 7 Director Homer Mariano Cabaral said he was dismayed upon learning of the complaint about the Sogod policemen.

“We are hiring professionals and degree holders in the police force, yet this is what they are showing to the public. This is not acceptable. They have to face the consequence,” Cabaral said.

He said he will not tolerate abusive acts by policemen.

Montecalbo, who has executed an affidavit, said he will pursue his case against Sogod policemen.

In another police case, Napolcom 7 filed administrative charges against two police officials and their five subordinates who were found responsible for initiating “hazing” inside the Regional Special Training Unit in Sibonga, Cebu.

Napolcom spokesperson Zandro Ronnie Oriol said it took them two weeks to wrap up the findings and recommendations because they thoroughly went over the case.

Oriol said they found probable cause to file administrative charges against the respondents.

Facing charges of grave misconduct and serious neglect of duty are Police Sr. Insp. Dexter Calacar and Insp. Juanito Nuñez, training manager and course director of the PNP Special Insurgency Operation Unit Training for not preventing the training officers from committing hazing among the trainees.

Also charged with grave misconduct and serious irregularity in the performance of duty were PO2 Milinie Francisco, PO2 Diana Paghacian, PO1 Wilmor Alvarado, PO1 Kelvin Medrano and PO1 Aaron Gevera for violating Republic Act 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Act.

Medical results of the complainants showed that they sustained wounds, according to the pre-charge evaluation report.

Summons will be sent to the police officers.

The case stemmed from a complaint of 12 policemen undergoing training inside Camp Ceferino Genovia in Sibonga that they were being maltreated by training instructors.