ILOILO City – A Philippine National Police – Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) operation at the Molo Police Station here has triggered separate investigations by the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) and the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
The Molo police accused the raiding team of disarming station officers and allegedly holding policemen, civilians, and a media practitioner at gunpoint during a failed attempt to look for and arrest a dismissed policeman wanted for murder.
The operation, conducted on Wednesday, July 1, with the support of the Special Action Force (SAF), failed to locate the fugitive but instead ignited questions over operational coordination and the treatment of those inside the police station during the raid.
Molo Police Station chief Captain Ryan Christ Inot said his office was never informed in advance that IMEG would conduct the operation.
“We did not receive any coordination before they conducted the operation,” Inot said.
According to Inot, station personnel were preparing for a separate buy-bust operation when heavily armed IMEG operatives suddenly entered the station.
He said police officers were immediately disarmed and ordered to lie face down while IMEG personnel searched the premises for the dismissed policeman.
Inot further claimed that a barangay captain serving as a civilian witness for the scheduled anti-drug operation and a member of the media set to cover it were also held at gunpoint during the operation.
He added that IMEG operatives showed him a photograph of the wanted former policeman, but he could not identify the individual because the image only showed the person’s side profile.
Following the incident, Inot said the Molo Police Station immediately coordinated with the ICPO to explore possible legal remedies, including the filing of complaints against the IMEG personnel involved.
Separate statements issued by the ICPO and PRO-6 confirmed that the operation was intended to serve a warrant of arrest against a dismissed police officer facing a murder case. Authorities, however, said the suspect was not found during the operation.
In response, ICPO Director Colonel Wilbert Parilla ordered the City Investigation and Detective Management Unit (CIDMU) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the operation.
He also instructed the Deputy City Director for Operations to supervise the investigation and ensure proper coordination among all concerned police units.
“We respectfully urge the public to remain calm and refrain from making negative assumptions or spreading unverified information regarding the incident,” Parilla said.
“The matter is already being addressed by our units. We ask everyone to allow the ongoing investigation to proceed so that the facts can be properly established,” he added.
The ICPO also assured the public of its full cooperation with any investigation initiated by higher headquarters and reiterated its commitment to transparency, professionalism, accountability, and responsive police service.
PRO-6 director Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño likewise acknowledged that serving a warrant of arrest is a legitimate law enforcement function under the mandate of the PNP-IMEG but emphasized that concerns surrounding the conduct of the operation would also be investigated.
“We have received reports that members of the media and a barangay official were present during the incident. We recognize the important role of the media and civilian witnesses in promoting transparency, accountability, and public trust in law enforcement,” Tuaño said.
He ordered the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division (RIDMD) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the operation and directed the Deputy Regional Director for Operations to oversee the inquiry and coordinate with the concerned units.
“PRO-6 remains committed to supporting all lawful police operations while ensuring professionalism, proper coordination, and respect for the rights, safety, and dignity of all persons affected by police activities,” Tuaño said.
Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas said she had received an initial briefing from the ICPO but would withhold further comment until the investigation is completed.
“I have already received the initial information from the Iloilo City Police Office regarding the IMEG operation at the Molo Police Station. However, I will wait for the complete report from the ICPO before making any further comments,” Treñas said.
“At this point, we will leave the matter to the Philippine National Police, as this was a police operation that falls within their jurisdiction. We trust that the proper processes will be observed and that all the facts surrounding the incident will be thoroughly established,” she added.
As of Thursday, both the ICPO and PRO-6 were conducting parallel investigations to determine whether proper operational procedures were observed during the attempted arrest and to verify the allegations raised by Molo Police Station personnel./PN
