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Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Soldiers harass police
By Frinston Lim
TENSION gripped the Tagum City police office on Saturday when a soldier, refused by cops to visit an inmate, sought help from comrades and stormed the station.
Senior Police Officer 4 Bonifacio Santillana said the incident began when a jeepload of troops from the Army's 404th Brigade arrived at around 11:30 p.m. and soldiers took positions outside the station.
Santillana said this happened after the police on duty barred one plainclothed Army member to visit snatching suspect Roland David as it was beyond visiting hours already.
Visiting hours is only until 6 p.m.
David is said to be a son of a soldier whose modus operandi was to snatch the cellular phones of victims while riding a motorcycle.
Santillan said the soldier did not even present an identification card and wasn't a relative of the suspect.
"He left and later on he returned with his companions," Santillana told Sun.StarSuperbalita.
The troops arrived on board a camouflaged multi-cab with the name 404th Brigade ("Conquerors") painted on its side.
Two of them, one later identified himself as Sergeant Eran, the team leader, went inside the compound and talked to police Chief Inspector Thor Valiente Cuyos, while the rest, all heavily-armed with M-16 rifles and M-203 grenade launchers scattered around the vicinity.
Police said the soldiers' identity could not be ascertained since they did not wear identification cards and their nameplates were deliberately concealed under dangling ammunition bandoliers.
Cops condemned the soldiers' action as "arrogant."
The group, however, climbed on their jeep and left after their "leader" finished talking with Cuyos.
Police said they did not seen David's father among the group, who was assigned in the unit.
The city police chief is said to have already talked to the group's unit commander.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (October 11, 2005 issue)
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