By Chantal Nabong
BIÑAN, LAGUNA- Biñan Police clarifies the Biñan Police Department are not part of the allegations on the report of “Binan Police play Wheel of Torture” that alarms local officials and citizens.
Biñan city PNP, SPO4 Ronald Manabat, clarifies that the charged police officers are not members of the Biñan Police Department but mostly of the San Pablo Police Department.
According to Manabat, they are part of the Intelligence’s special task force under the Laguna Provincial Police and it so happened that the incident took place in a private village in Biñan, Laguna.
“The members of the special task force unit came from different units of the Laguna Provincial Intelligence Office. They are not assigned in Biñan and neither do they have a station or office in our City.” Manabat said.
The illegal methods are done in a police safehouse being rented by a Laguna Intelligence Officer in St. Francis Village in Barangay San Francisco that serves as their temporary station.
The Commissions of Human Rights have already made their initial investigation and concluded that the cops have done this acts to to extract information, extort money, force confessions and as a form of amusement of the police intelligence officers.
The Biñan Police Department is not part of the investigative team.
It’s a story that outrages national news, due to the expose and allegations of at least 20 inmates that were said to be tortured by Biñan Police Officers using a multi-color wooden wheel.
This was uncovered upon physical examination of an arrested drug dealer where wounds and bruises were discovered all over his body when he was turn-over to the San Pedro Police station by the special task force of the the Laguna Intelligence Unit.
The inmate clothes also were stained with bloods, indicating that he was subjected to physical abuse before the turn-over.
The involved police officers will be charged for grave misconduct for maltreatment of prisoners and are now undergoing pre-charge investigations.
The charged police officers that are now facing possible dismissal from the service are led by Chief Inspector Arnold Formento, assigned with the Intelligence Unit of the Laguna Provincial Police Office (PPO). Also included in the dismissal proceedings were Senior Police Officer (SPO) 1 Alexander Asis, Police Officer (P) 3 Freddie Ramos, PO2 Marc Juluis Caezar, PO 2 Melmar Baybayado Viray, PO1 Nelson Caribo, SPO3 Bernardino Artisen, PO3 Renan Galang, PO2 Mateo Cailo, and PO2 Aldwin Paulo Tibuc. They are now relieved from their post and restricted to their quarters in Camp Vicente Lim, Canlubang, Laguna.
Some of the torture acts would be the “Pacman” wherein the victim will undergo a twenty seconds non stop punches. The “Paniki“ means that the victim will be hanged upside down for thirty seconds. The inmates alleged that this was done as a form of entertainment of the police officers during their drinking spree.
Edgar Del Rosario on Human Rights, hopes more victims will also submit their complaints and will probe on other prison facilities for similar offenses. To make sure that the police performed their sworn duties as a public servants.
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