Trackers like ‘private army’

An investigator of the Commission on Human Rights in Central Visayas (CHR-7) said the group of anti-crime volunters in the Fuente police station   was unique and acted “on their own.”

CHR-7 Special Investigator II Lilybeth Llona said the “Tracker” team was acting like a “private army” of their founder Chief Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes, who was relieved from his post after the death of a theft suspect in police custody.

A Tracker member was criminally charged for the death of Joven Tejano, who was kicked and beaten unconscious last July 7 after he was picked up on  suspicion of  robbing a house.

Administrative charges for grave misconduct were filed on Monday against Bastes and seven other Fuente policemen.

When Llona visited the Fuente precinct last week, the Trackers were gone.  Their office was closed.  Their banners and office equipment were removed.

The CHR-7 will  monitor the ongoing police disciplinary  investigation.  Llona said the agency doesn’t want to overlap with the efforts of the  Police Regional Office (PRO-7).

“We will make sure  the proper charges will be filed,” Llona said.

She said the CHR  will take the affidavits of the two Tracker members  who described how the  suspect was  kicked and beaten up by a fellow member, Pedro Piañar, in the precinct.

The Cebu City police homicide section filed criminal charges against  Piañar, who disappeared after the incident. Llona said Chief Insp. Bastes  should be held administratively liable since the Trackers were  under his authority.

“He (Bastes) is the founder of the Trackers. When he moved to the Fuente station, he brought the Trackers with him.

“Some policemen in the station even complained that the Trackers are more authoritative than them,” she said.  /Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya