GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/28 March) – At least three policemen assigned at the Koronadal City police station were disarmed and relieved from their posts over the weekend after they were accused of raping and committing acts of lasciviousness on a female detainee inside the police station compound earlier this month.
Supt. Anecito Ambay, acting Koronadal City police chief, confirmed Monday that SPO4 Enrique Rolloqui, PO2 Rey Artillo and PO1 Angelo Armido have been placed under the restrictive custody of the Police Regional Office 12 in the wake of an ongoing investigation and administrative proceedings against them in connection with the case.
“They were stripped of their service firearm, (Philippine National Police) badges and other identification documents and directed to temporarily report for duty at the regional personnel holding and accounting unit,” he said.
Ambay said such directive, which he described as a routine procedure, was issued by Region 12 police director Chief Supt. Gil Meneses based on a recommendation from deputy regional director for administration Senior Supt. Lester Camba.
The three policemen have been tagged as suspects in a rape and acts of lasciviousness complaint earlier filed an 18-year-old female detainee before the Koronadal City Prosecutor’s Office.
In her affidavit, the complainant alleged she was sexually abused while she was detained in a temporary detention facility of the Koronadal City police station for theft from March 2 to 9.
She claimed PO2 Artillo came in drunk in one instance and raped her inside the detention facility, which is an improvised cottage made of light materials set up in front of the police station.
The former detainee said SPO4 Rolloqui had allegedly kissed her while PO1 Armido also punched her on her chest.
Ambay said that aside from the three policemen, two other members of the Koronadal City police station identified as Insp. Joseph Madrid and PO2 Robert Parreno were also linked to the case by the complainant.
He said the names of the two policemen, who were also relieved from their posts, came out in the investigation data form of the City Prosecutor’s Office as those who supposedly arrested the victim illegally.
But Ambay said the victim’s counsel, city legal officer Atty. Eufemio Simtim, has clarified that Insp. Madrid and PO2 Parreno were not among those charged with rape and acts of lasciviousness based on the complaint-affidavit that they had filed.
He said a special investigation team created by the regional police office is already looking into the supposed involvement of the two policemen in the case.
Ambay said the results of the investigation will determine whether the two policemen would be slapped with administrative charges or not.
“I’m personally convinced that they were just doing their jobs at that time but we still relieved them from their posts to facilitate the conduct of the investigation and also make sure that they will not be able to influence the handling of the case in any way,” the police official said.
Meantime, Koronadal City Mayor Peter Miguel said he instructed the city’s legal team to provide the necessary assistance to the victim.
The mayor, who had raised serious concern over the involvement of the three policemen from the city in the case, said the local government is currently closely monitoring the developments of the criminal and administrative proceedings regarding the matter.
“We’ll make sure that all the accused policemen would stay away from the victim and not influence the case in one way or another,” he added.(Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)