Ombud dismisses charges vs. 2 cops, 3 brgy. tanods

THE Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has cleared two policemen and three village watchmen from Talisay City of accusations that they illegally detained a man last year.

Jane Aguilar, graft investigation and prosecution officer, dismissed the criminal and administrative charges that complainant Virgilio Sumeran filed against police officers Aquilles Cabando and Nelson Cordilla.

Aguilar also junked the charges against Wilson Juezan, Abraham Nebria and Ric Rabaya, tanods of Barangay Lagtang.

Sumeran charged the respondents with unlawful arrest and grave misconduct before the anti-graft office.

In his complaint, Sumeran said he and his wife quarreled on Jan. 13, 2011.

After their argument, the tanods told him not to leave their house, which he said deprived him of his freedom.

Minutes later, Cabando and Cordilla arrived and brought Sumeran to the police station.

The police then filed physical injuries complaint against Sumeran, but the Talisay City Prosecutor’s Office later dismissed it for lack of probable cause.

Since the state prosecutors dropped the complaint, Sumeran argued his arrest was unlawful.

Sumeran said he was detained for five days at the police station, where he sustained injuries and deprived him of his income.

Aguilar, however, pointed out that Sumeran merely relied his allegations against the respondents on the dismissal of the physical injuries complaint against him.

The anti-graft body also said that the respondents cannot be held liable for arbitrary detention.

“Sumeran did not present evidence to prove partiality, malice, bad faith or any corrupt purpose on the part of the respondents,” Aguilar said.