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Saturday, February 15, 2003
Nalzaro: Those video footages
By Bobby G. Nalzaro
BARRING unforeseen circumstances, I will appear today before the House committee on civil, political and human rights. The committee will hold the second round of its investigation into the Dec. 13 botched operation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that resulted to the wounding of Plantation Bay Resort employees.
I am not a witness to that “barbaric act,” so my participation will be limited to the presentation of video footages taken by a GMA 7 Cebu news crew on the various operations of NBI 7 prior to the “Friday the 13th” incident. I was personally invited by Rep. Raul Del Mar, a member of the committee, to present the video footages. This will refute claims by NBI regular agents that they revoked the appointments of their confidential agents after NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco issued an order to this effect sometime July last year.
The video footages in my possession showed the active participation of some confidential agents, who were armed with high-powered firearms, in raids conducted by NBI 7 in the latter part of last year. It was clear NBI 7 blatantly defied Wycoco’s order. I saw some familiar faces there. They were even wearing black NBI shirts and caps. Some aggressively handcuffed suspects.
The footages showed at least three raids conducted by the NBI in October in Pasil, V. Rama and Lapu-Lapu City. In one of these raids, confidential agents were in the front line. Two of them carried high-powered firearms. I also saw there controversial radio-reporter-cum-confidential-agent Paul Lauro carrying a handgun and putting handcuffs on the suspects.
Before the Dec. 13 incident, elements of the bureau used to invite television crew and news photographers to cover them in action, apparently for publicity purposes. Now, they are denying the use civilian agents in their operations. Tell that to the dead marines in Mindanao and not to the people of Cebu, especially the media.
To justify the participation of civilians in their operations, NBI is banking on Section 11, Rule 113 of the Revised Rules of Court which states that: “Any officer making a lawful arrest may orally summon as many persons as he deems necessary to aid him in making the arrest. Every person so summoned by an officer shall aid in the making of such arrest, when he can render such aid without detriment to himself.”
I am not a lawyer, but I have my interpretation of this particular provision. The way I understand it, this is only applicable during the actual arrest of a suspected felon. If an officer sees he cannot handle the situation alone, he can call upon any responsible citizen to help him.
We civilians can even do the arresting (it’s called citizens arrest) if we have knowledge of the crime committed, or if the person to be arrested is about to commit, is actually committing and has committed a crime. And the civilians should be armed. But in that bungled operation, the plan was hatched hours before the actual implementation.
If the NBI was undermanned, then why didn’t it ask the support of other law enforcement units like the police? The reason is simple: They don’t want others to grab the credit. Bulilyaso hinoon. Mirisi.
(Send your comments and suggestions to: Bobby@sunstar.com.ph or at bgn@cebu. gmanetwork.com. My cell phone number, 09193181404)
(February 15, 2003 issue)
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