Friday, April 11, 2008 Cops face complaint for ‘planting evidence’
A CRIMINAL and administrative complaint for incriminating innocent person and grave misconduct was filed at the anti-graft office yesterday against a police official and his two subordinates.
They allegedly raided a fisherman’s home and planted evidence while he was at sea.
Jose Jeffrey Maria, in an affidavit subscribed before Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Director Alejandro Alonso Jr., impleaded Insp. Wilfredo Pulvera, PO1 Roverciano Inot and PO1 Jethro Puao, all of the Intelligence Branch of the Cebu Provincial Police Office.
The three allegedly took part in a raid inside Maria’s house in Tuyan, Naga, Cebu, last Oct. 25, 2007. At that time, he was fishing with his parents off the coast of Bohol.
The police allegedly found five plastic packs of shabu in the raid, five empty packets that reportedly had traces of shabu, five pieces of aluminum foils, scissors and lighters.
After the raid, he was charged with violations of Republic Act 9165, the dangerous drugs act, he said.
The evidences were planted, the affidavit read.
“In fact, after a thorough investigation conducted by Naga City Prosecutor Aida Sanchez, it was confirmed… that the criminal complaint filed by the said police officers against me were just a product of incriminatory machinations,” he added.
He said he had long abandoned the raided house.
Three other people – Geronimo Villareal, Epi-maco Repollo and Carlito Villareal – executed affidavits in support of the complaint against the policemen.
Geronimo and Repollo are barangay councilors of Tuyan while Carlito is Maria’s uncle.
They said Maria had long left the house following a falling out with his wife.
Abandoned
“Jose Jeffrey Maria was at odds with his wife in the month of September 2007 as the latter wanted to go abroad. In fact, his wife left him together with their children and as a consequence, he abandoned their conjugal home and rejoined with his parents,” they said.
They said they were present and served as witnesses when the police officers conducted the raid.
They arrived to find the place not securely locked and the things inside in disarray.
“No drug or drug paraphernalia were found at the floor and walls of the house but when the police stepped on a chair then looked at the ceiling, (they then) claimed that they recovered plastic packs and drug paraphernalia from the ceiling,” their affidavit read. (KNR)
