Fuente chief, 7 cops, ‘Tracker’ charged

Chief Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes said he wasn’t around   when a robbery suspect was beaten to death in the Fuente police precint  two weeks ago.

But his role in the July 7 arrest of Joven Tejano was noted in a police investigation that recommended  him and seven other policemen for summary hearing on administrative charges.

A separate criminal charge was already  filed against Pedro Piañar, a civilian asset of the police, who was identified as the one who kicked Tejano repeatedly in the body during interrogation.

Piañar, who was described as a taekwando expert and former military man, allegedly kicked the young man in the chest and didn’t stop, despite the appeals of two fellow members of the Trackers, a civilian anti-crime group founded by Bastes.

Affidavits of the two Tracker witnesses about what happened identified Bastes  as the one who ordered them to arrest  Tejano   last July 7 and was with  them.

“Past 3:30 p.m. of July 7, while at the police station, Chief Inspector Bastes told me to go with him to sitio Sadpa, barangay Sambag 2, Cebu City  to pick up a suspected thief who was arrested by Rafael “Raffy” Enriquez, another Tracker member,” said Edward Pamplona last July 7.

In separate affidavits, Pamplona and Tracker member Rodolfo Bohol Villaro described how the suspect was brought to the police station and turned over.

Later in the evening, Tejano was taken out of his detention cell and brought for interrogation in the Tracker’s office still in the precinct.

He was shown video footage of security camera showing a house that was ransacked.

When Piañar asked Tejano if he was the one in the video, the suspect said no.  He was  kicked repeatedly by Piañar who wore combat boots.

Tejano was left in a cell for females where he fell unconscious.  He was  brought  to the hospital  hours later where he died. Chief Insp. Bonifacio Garciano, head of the Investigation and Detection Management Branch, yesterday told reporters that a summary hearing will be held at the Police Regional Office.

He told reporters he found out that all policemen on duty in two shifts washed their hands of any responsibility for the detainee’s death and that their statements were inconsistent with each other.

Chief Insp. Bastes,  who was reassigned after the incident, in his statement said he was off duty  during the incident and had two supervising officers at the time.

Garciano told Cebu Daily News that the statements of the policemen were inconsistent with each other.

Other policemen tagged in the case were Insp. Keith Allen Andaya, SPO4 Mario Revilla, SPO3 Fausto Gabuya, PO3 Joemar Gabuya, PO2 Allen Vallejo, PO1 Jose Acop and PO1 Roy Pabroa.

The family of the slain Tejano said they wanted justice for the detainee, who was not even charged with a crime when he was picked up.  The victim was described by his sister as being mentally infirm. /With Correspondent Chito Aragon