Police Files

2 COPS CHARGED

CHARGES were filed in court against two police officers for allegedly fabricating several accusations against a market vendor.

The Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices found probable cause to indict Supt. Paquito Belandres and SPO1 Elmer Abelgas on charges of violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Bail was recommended at P30,000 each.

The issue stemmed from the complaint filed by Edgardo Briones Jr. whose son was mauled by a man in Jan. 2000.

Briones said two barangay tanods and two policemen saw the incident but didn’t arrest the suspect.

He filed a complaint against the tanods and policemen before the anti-graft office.

Subsequently, Briones said 13 cases were filed against him with the “approval and cooperation” of Belandres and Abelgas.

In the respondents’ counter-affidavit, they said they were just doing what they ought to do in endorsing complaints against Briones before the prosecutors’ office.

Belandres and Abelgas used to be assigned at the San Nicolas Police Station in Cebu City as station chief and investigator respectively.

The anti-graft office found sufficient evidence to elevate the charges against the respondents to the court.

“This is a case of police officers getting even with civilian complainants through harassment by using their authority and power just to make sure that the complainant would buckle down and end up being the one facing multiple fabricated cases in court,” said graft investigation and prosecution officer Maria Teresa Rafols./REPORTER ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL

BOY FOUND HANGING DEAD

LOVE problems may have driven ove a 17-year-old boy to commit suicide inside his house in barangay Tinaan, Naga City, southern Cebu, last Saturday afternoon.

Police said the boy used water hose in hanging himself.

The boy was found suspended from the ceiling of his room.

The boy’s parents told police that they couldn’t think of any reason why their son committed suicide.

But a friend of the victim told police that the boy confessed to him a few days ago about his problem with his girlfriend.

The boy confessed that he had wronged his girlfriend.

P03 Antonio Albite of the Naga City police said the boy was alone at home past 5 p.m. last Saturday.

The boy’s cousin arrived in the victim’s house looking for him.

The cousin peeped through the door of the victim’s room and found him suspended from the ceiling.

The boy’s father cut the hose and applied first aid treatment but failed to revive him.

The boy was rushed to the Minglanilla District Hospital but was pronounced dead by attending physician./CORRESPONDENT JHUNNEX NAPALLACAN