THE family of the retired police officer who was abducted in Bacolod City in April urged all the law enforcement agencies in Bacolod to fast-track the investigation to identify the perpetrators and to locate the victim.
Cate Pirote, 24, daughter of retired Police Major Lito Pirote, said Wednesday, June 12, that until now, they don’t have an update on the case of their father.
She said they already coordinated with the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-Bacolod, but they failed to give them any update on the case of their father.
“They promised to form a task force, but until now there’s no result on the case of our father. We don’t know where he is,” she added.
On April 19, Pirote came from a hotel after visiting a friend when about eight to 10 unidentified armed men arrived and forcibly took him to a white van.
The two security guards of the hotel were reportedly disarmed and some guests were told to drop to ground.
Pirote reportedly fought back but he was hit by an unknown firearm.
The assailants who were wearing bullet vests dragged him to the vehicle and left the hotel’s guests and employees unharmed.
The firearms of the two security guards were also left outside the hotel.
In October 2018, Pirote was among the five police officials who were relieved from their posts after they were named by President Rodrigo Duterte in the drug matrix for allegedly engaging in the recycling of illegal drugs.
Cate said his father was accused to be involved in the P11-billion magnetic lifter case in 2018, but due to lack of probable cause, his father was proven innocent and the Department Justice dismissed his case on April 8, 2018.
“It has been over a month and we are still in search for answers of Papa’s whereabouts, and why did this happen to him? Our Papa was a noble man and has been faithful in service. We, his children are asking for your help to reunite us with our father,” she said.
She added they also sent letters to some senators and President Duterte to help them locate their father.
Cate said she believes that their father is still alive and she dreamt of him several times.
She said they also secured a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage from the hotel and they saw how their father was abducted in the area.
Pirote retired from the police service in January this year. His last assignment before his retirement was in the Philippine National Police - Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group.
Police Brigadier General John Bulalacao, director of Police Regional Office (PRO)-Western Visayas, earlier said nobody would cooperate in the investigation.
Bulalacao said he cannot confirm if indeed Pirote was included in the drug list of President Duterte.
Pirote’s family is also distributing flyers to help them to locate their father. For any information just contact them at 09504055732 and 09125897801.