SAN JOSE, Antique – Two drug suspects arrested in Barangay San Angel here claimed policemen mauled them.
The 28-year-old Raymund “Nonoy” Juala of Barangay 5, San Jose and 36-year-old Ariel “Tisoy” Velasco of Barangay Baladjay, San Remigio town said the cuts and bruises on their faces and bodies were due to the repeated kicks they were made to endure after their arrest.
They were homebound onboard a motorcycle together with a female companion when masked men blocked their way, according to the two men.
The masked men, numbering about eight, handcuffed then and repeatedly kicked them, they claimed.
Juala and Velasco said their attackers turned out to be joint elements of the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit of the Antique Police Provincial Office and the Municipal Drug Enforcement Team of the San Jose police station where they were brought.
POLICE’S VERSION
The police quickly denied the alleged mauling and offered its own version of what happened.
Juala and Velasco were subjects of a buy-bust operation; they sold a sachet of suspected shabu for P700 to an undercover police officer.
The drug suspects put up a fight when policemen were about to arrest them, according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Mark Anthony Darroca, San Jose police chief.
Juala allegedly drew a .38 revolver from his waist and tried to shoot the cops.
There was a grappling for the gun until Juala was effectively subdued, said Darroca.
Six more sachets of suspected shabu were recovered from Juala, he added.
His policemen do not practice police brutality nor does he tolerate it, stressed Darroca.
“The drug suspects are free to file charges against the operating team,” he added.
FAMILIAR TO COPS
Juala and Velasco are active members of Alpha Kappa Rho fraternity that is supportive of the local police’s civic programs such as bloodletting, tree planting, gift giving, school feeding, and Brigada Eskwela among others.
Juala was also a graduate of the local police’s Oplan Tokhang drug rehabilitation program.
A social media post of the San Jose police station stated, “We have nothing personal against the Alpha Kappa Rho fraternity. We are grateful for their support to the programs and activities of the station but we will not tolerate any individual or group with illegal activities, especially on illegal drugs.”
The drug suspects face charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of
2002.
Darroca said Juala faces an additional charge of illegal possession of firearm.
As of this writing, it was not clear if the drug suspects would be filing countercharges against the policemen who arrested them./PN
