MANILA, Philippines — “Is it because of the election fever or not?”
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde asked this question in a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday, after senatorial candidate Chel Diokno claimed his client, a pedicab driver, was allegedly arrested by the police in Quezon province without a warrant.
READ: Diokno asks PNP chief to assure safety of ‘EJK survivor’
The pedicab driver, Roger Herrero, earlier claimed that he was abducted by four police officers in November last year and was allegedly forced to admit involvement in a crime he did not commit. A policeman allegedly got out of the police car, dragged Herrero and shot him in the face.
Herrero has filed a case against the policemen, but it was dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman, according to Albayalde.
“Una, hindi natin alam kung bakit nga lumabas iyan. Is it because of the election fever or not? Kaya nga iyon ang sinasabi natin. ‘Yung ating mga kababayan [dapat] maging aware dito, baka ito pong mga ganitong klaseng insidente ay nagagamit lamang,” Albayalde said.
(First, we do not know why this news erupted. Is it because of the election fever or not? That’s why we are saying that people should be aware of issues like this. Maybe these incidents are just being used [to get exposure].)
Albayalde said the public should take a closer look at the case, which was an “old issue” that was first reported in November 2018.
In a radio show on Sunday, Diokno claimed that Herrero received a subpoena while still at the hospital for “clarificatory questioning” at the prosecutor’s office, but the police were already waiting for him there to carry out the arrest.
Albayalde, however, said that last year, Herrero was arrested and charged for robbery, frustrated murder, and illegal possession of firearms. He was wounded in an encounter with the police and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.
Albayalde said that on March 1, Herrero was released from the hospital and the fiscal ruled that he remains in police custody.
“Maayos na siya noong March 1. Nagkaroon ng desisyon ‘yung fiscal na i-upheld niya ‘yung detention doon sa police station so until now nakadetain siya. Hindi po ito na-aresto ulit as being claimed,” Albayalde said.
(He’s fine on March 1. The fiscal decided to uphold his detention at the police station, so until now he is detained there. He was not arrested again as they are claiming.)
Albayalde, however, avoided giving a categorical statement on whether the issue is being used for media exposure of candidates.
“Hindi ho natin alam kung ano ang motive dito kaya nga ‘yung ating mga kababayan ang maghusga rito. Some candidates probably will be using so many issues against the government or even against law enforcement para ituro sa gobyerno,” he said.
(We do not know the motive here that’s why our people should be the ones to judge here. Some candidates will be using so many issues against the government or even against law enforcement and point the blame to the government.)
“Sana hindi po natin magamit itong mga tao or kung sino lalo na ‘yung mga biktima. Huwag natin gamitin dahil maawa naman tayo sa ating mga kababayan kung pati itong mga kababayan natin gagamitin for our personal interest,” he said.
(I hope we will not use other people or anyone, especially the victims. Let us not use them, let us take pity at our countrymen and not use them for our personal interest.)
Albayalde said the PNP Internal Affairs Service is investigating the incident. /ee