AN individual who owns a parcel of land in Sugbongocgon, Misamis Oriental has accused police officers stationed there of releasing two persons arrested earlier without reason.
The complainant, Rene Malferrari, told reporters in a press conference that his stepson Giftson Lagbas went to their property in barangay Poblacion, Sugbongcogon last October 6 at around 2:00 in the afternoon and saw two persons removing the barbed wire used as fence in their property and started digging some holes purportedly to erect a fence of their own.
Upon seeing this, Lagbas immediately flagged down a police vehicle with Sugbongcogon police station markings on it and asked for assistance.
The three police officers present dismounted from their vehicle and arrested the two persons on Lagbas’ request and brought them to Sugbongcogon police station.
During the ensuing investigation, the police officers asked Lagbas to provide proof that the vandalized property belongs to his stepfather.
Lagbas then went out of the police station, searching for a shop in town to print the documents asked by the police investigator.
Upon arriving around 30 minutes later, Lagbas was surprised to see the presence of a former mayor from a nearby town in the police station. In a few moments, the two suspects allegedly accompanied the former mayor to his vehicle and sped away.
Malferrari said the non-action of the police officers in allowing the two suspects to walk is tantamount to “negligence, incompetence and infidelity in the custody of a person(s) of interest.”
“Ngano gibuhian man sa mga pulis? Ako man ang una nag-complain,” Malferrari said during the press conference. “Kung mabuhat ni nila kanako, unsa pa kaha sa uban.”
Pressing on, Malferrari vowed to pursue the matter in any legal forum and said the police officers must be held accountable.
