MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Sunday said it already relieved the 11 police officers who were charged by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) over the disappearance of four men in police custody in 2021.
READ: NBI raps 11 cops for disappearance of 4 men in police custody
“Keeping the NCRPO’s commitment to transform the organization and aspiration of unsullied state through its unrelenting internal cleansing effort, the police officers who were involved in the missing ‘Sabungeros’ were relieved from their posts and were put under restrictive custody of Regional Headquarters Support Unit in an order signed on October 21, 2022,” said NCRPO acting regional director PBGen. Jonnel Estomo in a statement.
According to NCRPO, the said officers were Former Regional Drug Enforcement Unit Chief PLTCOL Ryan Orapa, PLT Jesus Menez, PSSg Ronald Lanaria, PSSg Ronald Montibon, PSSg Troy Paragas, PSSg Roy Pioquinito, PSSg Robert Raz Jr, PCpl Christal Rosita, PCpl Denar Roda, PCpl Alric Natividad, and PCpl Ruscel Solomon.
All were charged with kidnapping and serious illegal detention as well as violation of the Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act by the NBI Task Force Against Illegal Drugs in a complaint dated Oct. 19.
The case stemmed from the disappearance of the still-missing siblings Gio and Mico Mateo, as well as online cockfighting workers Garry Matreo Jr. and Ronaldo Anonuevo on April 13, 2021.
Estomo then guaranteed that the NCRPO deeply condemns and will never tolerate any form of flagrant violation of human rights, law and order.
“Rest assured that we will cooperate and will not condone any form of lawlessness committed by our men regardless of rank and designation should it be established following due investigation by competent authorities,” he said.
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