Thursday, March 08, 2007 Argao police chief relieved after ‘massage-me’ episode
THE chief of the Argao town police station was relieved from his post and transferred to the Provincial Headquarters Security and Service Group pending an investigation on the allegation that he had two women inmates massage him.
The relief order was imposed on Senior Insp. Crisanto Duque last Tuesday late afternoon, the same day when Acting Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Carmelo Valmoria sent a team to the southern town of Argao to investigate him.
The investigation stem-med from the complaint of two female detainees against Duque for allegedly asking them to massage his penis because it ached due to muscle spasm (panuhot).
Duque denied the allegation and instead blamed two policewomen assigned in the police station for blowing up the issue.
SPO4 Wilfredo Tautoan, Argao police deputy chief, was designated to temporarily replace Duque.
The relief order was signed by Valmoria and Provincial Elections Supervisor Edwin Cadungog. During the election period, no movement of police personnel shall be made without the approval of the Commission on Elections.
No past record
Argao Mayor Wilfredo Caminero, however, has not received any complaint against Duque in the past except for a little problem with his subordinates.
Caminero had gathered the town policemen to settle their differences last year.
Duque had served the Argao police station for more than a year.
But Caminero said he supports the move to relieve Duque because what the police official did was conduct unbecoming even if Duque may have had no malice in asking the inmates to massage him because he called two.
But when he asked the two women, they were firm in their allegations.
Caminero said the pregnant inmate is a known masseuse in the town.
SPO1 Kenneth Abella of the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Branch, who was assigned to do the investigation, said Duque was already informed about the probe.
Abella said Duque will also be furnished the complaint sheet and the affidavits executed by the two female inmates. One of the inmates is eight months pregnant while the other is 54 years old.
Duque has five days to submit his counter-affidavit.
Because Duque’s alleged offense is a grave misconduct and if they find probable cause, Abella said, the CPPO may raise the case to the regional level for summary dismissal proceedings. (JST/MBG)
