POLICE officials have urged women who allegedly suffered from physical or sexual abuse at quarantine checkpoints to come out and file charges.
Until charges are filed, the report on prostituted women being forced to provide sex to police officers so they would be allowed to pass through checkpoints are mere hearsay, Lieutenant General Camilo Cascolan said Friday, May 22.
Cascolan, the Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy chief for administration, said they will assist the women if they decide to file charges.
“As of now, alam mo ‘yung mga ganyan na balita chismis pa rin yan because we need to know where, sino, kung pupwede lumapit sa akin ‘yung tao, ‘yung babae na yun para makausap ko at ma-imbestigahan namin ng CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) and this will be discreet iisa-isahin namin ‘yan. We will not tolerate that being done by the PNP (personnel) if it is true,” he said.
“But as of now, those are what supposed to be rumors kasi hindi sinasabi kung saan, mas maganda talaga lumapit sa amin imbestigahin namin ang nag-sumbong para ma-correct ‘yan. Talagang we will not tolerate ‘yung dirty tactics ng mga pulis na yan,” he added.
PNP Chief Archie Gamboa also said they will take the matter seriously.
“The PNP takes these allegations seriously because we respect women and honor their role in society. We will never tolerate any form of physical or sexual abuse against women. I strongly urge those unnamed sources to immediately report to the PNP and to file charges against suspected wrongdoers,” he said.
“In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have police frontliners who risk their lives on a daily basis. It is unfair that they become part of an unfounded generalization simply because of the criminal actions of a few,” he added.
The police officials were referring to an online news report about a sex worker who claimed that policemen ordered her to strip down and provide sex before she was allowed to get through the checkpoint.
She said one of the policemen used to be a frequent customer when she was still a teenager. After the act, she said the cop allegedly gave her P150, a loaf of bread and a ride going to her client. (SunStar Philippines)