ILOILO City – Charges of physical injuries, alarm and scandal, assault to a person in authority, grave coercion, and grave threats would be filed against Cong. Oscar “Richard” Garin Jr. (1st District, Iloilo) and his father, Mayor Oscar “Oca” Garin Sr. of Guimbal, Iloilo.
Police Officer 3 Federico Macaya Jr. of the Guimbal police station complained that the congressman mauled him, slapped and spit on his face before dawn yesterday near the town hall while the mayor was training a .45 pistol at him.
“I’m taking this incident as an affront to me. I will not let this pass without taking action,” according to Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, Western Visayas police director.
Bulalacao then announced he requested the Department of Interior and Local Government for the cancellation of Mayor Garin’s deputation over the police and recalled Congressman Garins’ two police escorts.
TRIGGER
The case stemmed from a tussle between two men on Dec. 22 at the public plaza of Guimbal.
Congressman Garin wanted charges to be filed against a Sangguniang Bayan member’s son, identified as Virgil Gegato, who allegedly threw a bottle of beer against another man, Noel Gicana, but none were filed.
“The congressman told me he was angry. He punched the policeman because he did not obey them. But the policeman said the victim was the one who refused to file charges because he did not want his parents to know about the incident,” said Bulalacao.
According to the police regional director, Congressman Garin apologized to him.
“Tumawag sa akin si Congressman Garin to apologize. Sabi ko sa kanya I accept your apology but I cannot commit to you that my men won’t file charges against you. Depende sa kanila ‘yun, karapatan nila ‘yun,” said Bulalacao.
THE MAULING
According to Macaya, investigator of the Guimbal police station, around 3:20 a.m. yesterday while he was patrolling the Guimbal plaza, he was summoned by his chief of police, Senior Inspector Antonio Monreal.
Near the male comfort room beside the left wing of the municipal hall, he was disarmed, body-searched, and handcuffed while at gunpoint then struck on the different parts of his body, he complained.
According to Macaya in the police blotter, he was being pressed to admit to have persuaded Gicana not to pursue charges against Gegato but he denied this to the congressman and mayor, in the presence of Monreal.
At one point, according to Macaya, Congressman Garin fired a shot using a .45 pistol and allegedly asked him, “Gusto mo ipapatay ta ka sa NPA?”
“I did not persuade Gicana not to file charges against Gegato. The victim himself insisted he was not interested to prosecute his attacker so as not to burden his parents. I was shocked that the Garins mauled me. I respected them as government officials,” said Macaya.
The police officer sustained a bruised left eye. He also complained of body pains.
DISRESPECT
According to Bulalacao, what happened was a disrespect to a police officer in uniform and an insult to his leadership as regional police director.
No less than Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde ordered him to recall the congressman’s police escorts and file criminal cases against the Garins, said Bulalacao.
“Hindi ako galit sa pagkatao nila. Galit ako sa ginawa nila sa pulis na naka-uniform pa. I will help our people file criminal charges against them and I will see to it that they will not have any services from the PNP,” said Bulalacao. “Chief PNP Albayalde is taking this incident as an affront to the police organization.”
RELIEF ORDERS
Bulalacao relieved Monreal, the police chief of Guimbal, “for his non-action (to stop the mauling) and his failure to arrest the Garins.”
Monreal would be facing an administrative case, said Bulalacao but he did not specify what case exactly.
Guimbal was given a new police chief yesterday – Chief Inspector Reymund Celuso from the Iloilo Police Provincial Office.
Monreal said he tried to stop the Garins but he was ignored.
There were too many Garin bodyguards at that time, he said.
Upon the order of Bulalacao, the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) also replaced the entire police force of Guimbal. The policemen themselves asked that they be posted elsewhere.
Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, IPPO director, reassigned to the Guimbal police station 24 troops from the 1st Mobile Company, Iloilo Police Mobile Force Company./PN
