Wednesday, September 10, 2008 Leon lauds police action on marijuana mystery
POLICE officials were lauded for a job well done, but Benguet Board Member Rogelio Leon urged that Kapangan officers who are facing administrative and criminal cases on the marijuana controversy should be charged based on their involvement in the case.
"We are satisfied with the police action, our only appeal is that the officers should be charged according to their participation in the crime," Leon said of the 15 policemen from Kapangan who were sued for their alleged involvement in the loss of some marijuana bricks which were confiscated last February.
"We are happy there was no cover-up in this case. But we still want to give chance to those who were sued to air their sides," the board member said.
He also defended members of the Kapangan police who testified on the occurrence of the alleged crime that "they did not like what happened, they only did not have the courage to tell (the truth to) their superiors."
Police Regional Office-Cordillera (Procor) Director Eugene Martin also lauded the provincial police for putting an end to the marijuana controversy.
The Benguet Provincial Police Office (BPPO) late last month filed criminal and administrative charges against 15 Kapangan police and reassigned all but two of them to other police offices in the region, pending the resolution of the cases.
The town has 21 policemen.
Four members of the Kapangan police, including their former chief Inspector Bernardo Capela, were administratively charged with grave offense, while the 11 others were charged with less grave offense. These cases are due for summary hearing.
Separate criminal cases were filed at the Provincial Prosecutor against Capela and others for the violation of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Capela reportedly ordered one of his men to burn the marijuana bricks that were then the subject of an investigation.
Leon pinned the police to look into the problem after receiving information from concerned residents of Kapangan that the municipal police freed a suspect nabbed with 100 kilos of illegal plant and only submitted 40 kilos of the confiscated items to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
The provincial police and Procor conducted a joint investigation on the case. The police testimonies affirming the occurrence of the crime came after the seven policemen, including Capela, were transferred to Abra.
BPPO Director Danilo Pelisco said 24 kilos of marijuana were dug up in a banana plantation near the police station of Kapangan last week.
He said the office has no information yet as to where the other missing bricks are. (JC)
