ILOILO City – Abduction or buy-bust operation?
The National Police Commission (Napolcom) will investigate what really happened to 36-year-old Anthony William Landicho of Nueva Valencia, Guimaras on Rizal Street, City Proper here on March 3.
Landicho is currently detained at the police station of Arevalo district.
According to the Arevalo police station, operatives of the Police Regional Office 6’s (PRO-6) Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) turned over Landicho to the station; the operatives claimed to have arrested him in a buy-bust operation Tuesday last week.
Landicho, however, denied he was caught in a buy-bust.
He said he was forcibly taken by three to four men into a white van that stopped in front of him while he was waiting to catch a jeepney ride at around 5:30 p.m.
Landicho said he was surprised that the men remitted him to the Arevalo police station and that he was being charged with violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act 2002.
He further claimed his P20,000 cash was gone.
A video of Landicho being forced into the van seemed to support his claim of abduction.
The video was taken by a concerned citizen who happened to be in the area when the incident happened. It was shared to DyFM Bombo Radyo.
Napolcom-6 director Atty. Joseph Celis said his office would be conducting an investigation.
“The police should always observe legal procedures in conducting operations,” Celis said.
The Iloilo City Police Office will conduct a parallel probe, said Police Colonel Eric Dampal, city police director.
RDEU chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Jersey Besas could not be reached for comment as this was being written./PN
