THE National Police Commission (Napolcom) will provide legal assistance to police officers from the towns of Minglanilla and San Fernando who are being investigated by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
Atty. Homer Cabaral, Napolcom 7 director, told reporters that it is their mandate to provide legal assistance to police officers who are facing charges in connection to their work.
Cabaral said that lawyers from their office will be assigned to tackle the cases of the police units involved in the deaths of suspects in anti-illegal drug operations.
In Minglanilla, a suspected drug pusher, Jovie Franza, was killed in a buy-bust conducted by local police last Monday. PO2 Evie Espina, an operative of the Minglanilla drug enforcement unit, was also killed during the operation.
Another suspected drug pusher, Benjamin Acero, was also killed in an anti-illegal drug operation in San Fernando town last month.
PO2 Aristeo Tampus, one of the police officers who conducted the operation, was injured after he was shot by Acero.
Both cases are being investigated by the CHR 7 after relatives of the slain drug pushers filed complaints before their office.
Cabral believes that both operations were legitimate as the stations were merely implementing the mandate given to them by President Rodrigo Duterte in its intensified war against illegal drugs.
Cabral urged officers involved in such cases to not be disheartened. He assured that Napolcom will continue to provide legal services for them. (JKV)