Eleazar orders probe of cops getting illegal fees from detainees who posted bail
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar (Photo from the PNP)
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) will investigate police officers who allegedly have been getting illegal fees from detainees who have already posted bail, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, the PNP chief, said on Monday.
According to PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, he received complaints where policemen have been deliberately delaying the release of detainees despite Court release orders to charge them illegal fees even after posting bail.
“They deliberately prolong the release of the detainees even though they already have a court order so that they can make money out of them by charging them ‘board and lodging fee,’ ‘protection fee,’ and even ‘visitation fee’,” Eleazar said in Filipino.
He said he had already ordered the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group to conduct an investigation and urged citizens who might be aware of the scheme to help out.
According to Eleazar, the complainants said that some police officers would argue that they could not release the inmates despite a court order because they would need to check if they had any other cases pending.
Eleazar pointed out, however, that background checks would immediately be conducted on detainees following their arrest.
“I am also ordering all chiefs of police and other unit commanders to immediately release detainees under their custody if a court order is already issued and if the subject detainees have already complied with all the requirements for their release, except if they have other pending cases and if there are other legal grounds to continue their detention,” Eleazar said.
The order would not only ensure respect for due process and laws but also prevent police officers from taking advantage of the detainees and their relatives, he added.
“We will not allow this kind of corruption in our ranks, and I guarantee that criminal-minded police officers involved in this will run into bad luck,” he said.
