THE Philippine National Police (PNP) in Eastern Visayas has disowned a viral post on social media which alleged the direct involvement of several local officials and police personnel in Samar province in the series of killings in Calbayog City and nearby towns.
“This Office strongly condemns the posting and sharing of the said document. While we acknowledge that every person is granted the right to express opinion or stand in any issue, this Office does not condone the writing and sharing of unsubstantiated information, especially if it is injurious or offensive to the reputation of others,” read the statement from Police Regional Office (PRO)-Eastern Visayas.
“As per initial verification, the said post contains malicious, misleading, and deceptive allegations,” it added.
PRO-Eastern Visayas assured the public that “all formal legal complaints being addressed to concerned PNP offices are being subjected to the lawful investigative procedures.”
“For an accusation to be acted upon, the presence of a complainant, either of an individual or a juridical entity, is warranted. Should the author of the document come out into the open to prove his allegations, this Office would be willing to take appropriate and prompt actions, as mandated by law,” it said.
The regional police command added it will "remain steadfast in upholding the law and promoting the interest of the public.”
Meanwhile, the PRO-Eastern Visayas named seven policemen, including four high-ranking officials, allegedly involved in the shooting incident that led to the death of Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino and five others on March 8, 2021.
“The SITG (Special Investigation Task Group) has given us clearance of naming those accounted personnel, who are allegedly involved in the incident, but the group has not provided us details,” said Lieutenant Colonel Ma. Bella Rentuaya, police regional spokesperson.
The policemen involved include a rank of colonel, major, lieutenant and corporal.
“Their respective offices are taking custody of the personnel involved while the investigation is ongoing,” Rentuaya said.
The other policemen, Captain Joselito Tabada and Staff Sergeant Romeo Laoyon, were killed during the incident, while Staff Sergeant Neil Cebu was wounded.
The identified policemen were members of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group and drug enforcement unit.
PRO-Eastern Visayas “remains neutral in the conduct of the investigation by SITG,” according to Rentuaya.