Cops say no buy-bust happened, admits to planting evidence
House committee on public order and safety chair Dan Fernandez —official website of the House of Representatives/congress.gov.ph
MANILA, Philippines — At least two officers from the Batangas Provincial Police Office have admitted that no buy-bust operation happened when a man waiting for his brother at the boundary of San Juan and Tiaong, Quezon was killed.
What’s more, both Police Mst. Sgt. Juan Macaraig and Sgt. Michie Perez told the House of Representatives committee on public order and safety on Monday that the gun, cash, and even the shabu (crystal meth) obtained from slain suspect Bryan Laresma were merely planted.
READ: Alleged drug pusher slain in Batangas buy-bust
Macaraig and Perez made the admission after lawmakers held an executive session with several officers involved in the operation last May 28. Committee chair and Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez first asked Perez as to why she will change her affidavit, to which the latter said there were inaccuracies in their report.
“Your Honor mag-aaffidavit po ako ng bago (I will file a new affidavit),” Perez said.
“So you would file a new affidavit. And why? What was wrong in what you wrote previously? What have you done incorrectly?” Fernandez asked.
“Sir there were lapses in the operation […] on the statements, pre-ops (operation), coordination sir,” Perez replied.
Fernandez then asked if the money did not belong to Laresma, to which Perez answered in the affirmative.
Not true
“So in other words the act of giving money and the trash that you picked up, that’s not true, it seems that after you got out of the vehicle, you immediately shot the man,” Fernandez said, to which Perez nodded.
When Fernandez pressed on Perez after the latter asked that details be just included in the affidavit, the police officer eventually admitted that they actually did not buy illegal drugs from Laresma, adding that the gun—a .38 caliber revolver—was not from the victim.
“I was just asking you, yes or no ’yon, because you’re trying to get our concurrence with the affidavit that you will change, so basically you have to answer us back. Is it part (of the affidavit), what we’re asking you, that the purchase of illegal drugs did not really happen? Yes or no lang ‘yon,” Fernandez asked.
“Yes sir,” Perez replied.
“So that’s not true. And even the discovery of a gun allegedly belonging to Bryan is not true? That we do not have any .38 (caliber) recovered, right?” Fernandez asked again, to which Perez confirmed.
Turning to Macaraig, Fernandez asked if a red car seen tailing their vehicle were also part of the operation—something that they initially denied. Macaraig admitted that it was a part of their operation, adding that a buy-bust operation did not happen.
“So there is also a red car, and there is no buy-bust (operation)?” Fernandez asked.
“Yes sir,” Macaraig said.
Planting evidence
The police officer also admitted that it was Perez who planted the evidence on the bridge.
“So who placed the gun without a hammer? […] Who placed the gun on the bridge along with the shabu? You or Michie?” Fernandez asked again.
“Si Michie po (It was Michie),” Macaraig replied.
Fernandez then thanked the Philippine National Police (PNP) for cooperating, although he admitted that the developments have been saddening.
“Okay, so members, with this new revelation, we would like to thank the efforts of our members and the cooperation of our PNP, the Provincial Director, the Regional Director, and also the members of the police station,” he said.
“It saddens us lang no’n, nakakalungkot lang that we have to reach this far,” he added.
During the earlier part of the hearing, Fernandez also scolded police officers from Batangas after taking notice of a journalist’s statement—that parts of an affidavit signed by Adrian Laresma, brother of Bryan, were not included in the complaints submitted by police.
According to Adrian Laresma, he was supposed to meet with his brother Bryan near the San Juan-Tiaong bridge when he saw a police officer—later revealed to be Perez—shooting Bryan at the hip.
Adrian claims that Bryan was unarmed and was not involved in the illegal trade, but Perez testified several times before the committee that Bryan opened fire first, shooting her at least two times. Adrian also said that Perez pointed a gun at him, telling him to leave the place—a detail not included in the affidavit.
Perez was one of the officers who faced the complaint from the Provincial Internal Affairs Service.
When Fernandez turned to the police officers who prepared the case—particularly Police Col. Ruel Lito Fronda, former Provincial Investigation Detective Unit head of Batangas PPO—they maintained that the Adrian’s testimony was included as a supplemental affidavit.
However, Fernandez also took notice that the affidavit was only updated when Adrian was already talking with a prosecutor privately—meaning, Glifonea’s narration about the gun-pointing incident being dropped was true.
