ILOILO City – The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) will investigate the alleged police mauling of two arrested drug suspects in Barangay San Angel, San Jose, Antique on July 2.
PRO-6 spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong said the Investigation Division will do the probe.
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.
“If proven to be true, our personnel have to face the consequences. We have an intensified internal cleansing in the PRO-6. We won’t tolerate misdeeds by our personnel,” Malong said.
According to Juala and Velasco, they were homebound onboard a motorcycle together with a female companion when masked men blocked their way. 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 Lieutenant Colonel Mark Anthony Darroca, San Jose police chief, denied the allegation and said 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 Darroca./PN
