ILOILO City – Murder suspects Roy Delos Reyes, 42, of Barangay West Timawa, Molo district and brother Rey Julius, 34, are filing criminal and administrative charges against policemen who arrested them on Jan. 7.
The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) is unfazed.
“Wala kaming may na-violate. Lahat na ginagawa namin ay legal,” said Senior Superintendent Martin Defensor, city police director.
The Delos Reyes brothers, security aides of Councilor Plaridel Nava, were arrested at the city official’s office at city hall. Police said witnesses tagged them in the killing of Nava’s cousin Mercedes in Mandurriao district on Jan. 4.
“Ako mismo ang namuno (of the Delos Reyes brothers’ arrest) para masegurado na walang violation,” said Defensor.
Councilor Nava insisted on his bodyguards’ innocence and said the guns, bullets and a grenade supposedly recovered from the suspects were “planted” by the police.
Defensor said the Delos Reyeses have the right to file charges. He stressed the ICPO would be answering them.
“We have anticipated such move from them. The burden is on them to prove we have violated the law. Para sa amin legal ang ginawa namin,” said Defensor.
Councilor Nava said it had been three days since Mercedes was shot in Barangay Calajunan, Mandurriao, so the police could not invoke “hot pursuit operation” as basis for apprehending his men without arrest warrants on Jan. 7.
The councilor further said, “I do not allow anyone, including my security aides, to bring guns to my office. Even I do not bring my licensed guns to office because I respect the city hall protocol against the bringing of guns inside it.”
Security camera video footages would prove that the Delos Reyes brothers entered city hall unarmed, according to Nava.
“When policemen arrested them in my office, there were no bags, guns or grenades seized. Suddenly, at the police station where they were taken, the cops presented what they claimed were items confiscated from my men,” the councilor said./PN
