By Yas D. Ocampo
DAVAO CITY – Senior Supt. Alexander Tagum, Davao City Police Office city director, has apologized for the behavior of two of his officers who were involved in a mauling incident as captured on CCTV.
“The Davao City Police Office is saddened by the mauling incident involving our two neophyte Police Officers as reported,” Tagum said.
The officers were identified as PO1 Jeobani Z. Natividad and PO1 Jesre Masinading, both assigned to the Mobile Patrol Group.
Tagum told reporters the two were sent to Garcia Heights last Jan. 21, at around 1:15 a.m. after they received reports about a riot involving minors.
When the minors involved in the fracas were already in the custody of barangay tanods, the two police officers ordered them to kneel on a chair, with their bare soles exposed.
The cops then hit their soles with batons.
They were also seen punching some of the children in the stomach.
The incident was captured by the barangay hall’s CCTV, a copy of which leaked to social media.
“At this stage, the identified police officers are in restrictive custody of this Office as part of the procedure while investigation of both criminal and administrative liability is at hand,” Tagum said.