2 police officials cited for contempt in probe into arrest of Chinese nationals
MANILA, Philippines — The former head of the National Capital Region Police Office’s Southern Police District (SPD) has been cited for contempt by a House panel probing the allegedly illegal arrest of four Chinese individuals in Parañaque City.
At the hearing of the House committee on public order and safety on Monday, Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo moved to cite former SPD head Brig. Gen. Roderick Mariano and comptroller Col. Charlie Cabradilla for contempt after both officials were deemed to be lying by lawmakers.
Most of the discussions that came prior to the two being cited for contempt centered on whether or not Mariano was made aware that police officers who arrested the Chinese nationals in a Parañaque condominium were able to seize money worth P27 million.
“Gen. Mariano, I think you are a disgrace to the Philippine National Police, especially to the officers’ corps, especially to the high-ranking officers with what you did. It is too obvious that you are lying, you are being protected, your men are insisting on their view that you are not at fault, but all of you will be dismissed from service,” Tulfo said.
“You guys are all lying. Mr. Chairman I hate to say this (but) it seems they are disgracing your committee, that’s why if you would allow Mr. Chair — I don’t know our other congressmen here, committee members will agree with me — sir let us cite these people in contempt,” he added.
Minutes after the motion was seconded, committee chairman and Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez approved the contempt order.
After some deliberation, the lawmakers agreed that Mariano and Cabradilla will be detained at the House pf Representatives premises for 30 days.
Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano also moved that the police officers involved in the raid, who were initially ordered detained at the House for 15 days, be given another 15-day detention for the sake of fairness.
The motion was also approved by Fernandez.
Questions as to whether Mariano was actually telling the truth rose after Fernandez inquired why Mariano’s subordinates left him in the blind in terms of how much money was really seized during the operation.
National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) regional director Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez said that when he was reading the initial reports, the information that he got was that the District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) only got P4.6 million, and not P27 million.
Mariano said he was able to ascertain the real state of the raid only by night of September 18, 2023, but Cabradilla — whom Mariano asked to help in facilitating the progress report of the operation — said that the SPD chief knew it by noon of the previous day, after a conference.
“So Gen. Mariano, why are you saying a while ago that you did not know how much the money was, and that you only knew it after the progress report was crafted by night? That it is only when the information was fed to Gen. Nartatez, on 18th of September, when the third progress report mentioned the P27 million. There must be somebody lying,” Fernandez said.
In response, Mariano maintained that Lt. Col. Jolet Guevarra — head of SPD’s DSOU — did not speak or mention the money during the conference.
“By 1:00 p.m., Lt. Col. Guevarra did not speak there, it was Col. Cabradilla only, he said that Lt. Col. Guevarra is having problems as to how much money he would declare because he is thinking about his alphas (asset) which he will give a monetary award to,” Mariano said.
“I told them that I do not care about the money as the important thing is to surface this money, say how much it is, and submit the report within the day. Because I am already obligated to report this to RD (Regional Director) because I told RD that you seized money,” he added.
But Fernandez said it still does not make sense, saying that it seems both officials are lying.
“You know, General Mariano, it doesn’t make sense. First, Col. Cabradilla said he knew that P27 million already. Now he is making reasons because he is in a bind, so he said he does not know if it was mentioned during the conference. But a while ago I asked when he knew about it, he said September 17 lunchtime,” Fernandez said.
“Then now you [Cabradilla] would say that you are not sure because the P27 million figure was mentioned in the conference. So now, General Mariano is claiming that Col. Guevarra did not mention the true value — P27 million. But in accordance with what you have said a while ago, you already knew that it was P27 million, so you said General Mariano should already be aware. But General Mariano is trying to insist right now that Col. Guevarra did not mention it. And prudence dictates you are all in trouble already,” he added.
The panel’s investigation started after Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop filed House Resolution No. 1471, where he claimed four Chinese nationals were “allegedly unlawfully accosted and arrested” and were brought to Room 1811 of Solemare Parksuites condominium in Parañaque last September 16, 2023.
According to Acop, the victims were “detained for several hours without being informed of their alleged offense and Miranda rights and were deprived of contact with their legal representation.”
