The regional police commander of Western Visayas has ordered the recall of all police escorts of Guimbal, Iloilo Mayor Oscar Garin and his son Cong. Richard Garin for mauling a policeman before dawn Wednesday.
Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, director of the Western Visayas regional police, said that he would also request the National Police Commission and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to strip Mayor Garin of police power.
“I have already ordered the recall of their police escorts when I learned of this incident this morning,” said Bulalacao.
Bulalacao’s statement came after Mayor Garin and his son Richard, a congressman for 1stDistrict of Iloilo, were accused of mauling Police Officer 3 Federico Macaya, assigned to the Guimbal Municipal Police Station.
Based on the report he received, Bulalacao said that the two local politicians called up Macaya through his commander at around 3:30 a.m. yesterday while he was conducting a patrol.
As soon as the cop met the Garins, the two politicians allegedly disarmed, boy-searched and confiscated his personal belongings and even hand-cuffed him at gunpoint.
“At that juncture, the suspects started to strike the victim on different parts of his body,” the police report that was received by Bulalacao yesterday afternoon read.
The manner by which the policeman was treated by the two local politicians did not sit well with Bulalacao.
“I told Congressman Garin that I’m taking this incident as an affront to me. I will not let this pass without taking action against them,” said Bulalacao.
“We will file charges for physical injuries, alarm and scandal, direct assault against an agent of person in authority and grave coercion against Congressman Richard Garin and grave threat against Mayor Oscar Garin,” he added.
Supt. Joem Malong, spokesperson of the Western Visayas regional police, said the attack on Macaya stemmed from a case of physical injuries involving two minors at Guimbal town plaza on December 22.
Macaya was the case investigator and the Garins were reportedly mad that a case of physical injury was not filed against the suspect.
“But a case of alarm and scandal was filed against the suspect. The victim did not push through with a case of physical injury because he does not want his parents to know that he figured in trouble,” Malong said.
The victim’s parents, it was learned, are overseas Filipino Workers.
As soon as Macaya arrived at the left wing of the municipal building where he was asked to report, he was allegedly met by Congressman Garin who immediately disarmed, body-searched and handcuffed him.
The congressman then started asking questions about the case and allegedly began hitting Macaya.
Mayor Garin was reportedly present during the entire incident.
Questions were immediately raised as to why the Garins were very interested that case must be filed against the suspect who was accused of hitting his fellow minor victim with a bottle in the head.
Sources said that the minor suspect is a son of a member of the Sangguniang Bayan of Guimbal, and is reportedly a political enemy of the Garins.
Bulalacao also appeared to have been dismayed and angered by the lack of action from the chief of police of Guimbal town identified as Senior Insp. Antonio Monreal Jr.
“I will relieve the Chief of Police for not taking action to help his personnel,” said Bulalacao.
It was learned that it was Monreal who called up Macaya to report to proceed to the Municipal Hall on the instruction of the Garins. And it was also Macaya who allegedly helped disarm Macaya.
Monreal was allegedly present when Macaya was being beaten up.
Following the incident, Bulalacao said that most of the members of the Guimbal Municipal Police Station have already requested for their transfer out of Guimbal, in an apparent show of protest.
APOLOGY
Meanwhile, Rep. Garin publicly apologized for physically attacking the cop.
“First and foremost, I ask forgiveness from the Philippine National Police (PNP) as an institution and also to the officers and personnel of the PNP, whom I have great respect,” said Garin Jr. as he read a prepared statement late Friday afternoon.
“I reiterate my apologies for my actions, which I take full responsibility,” he added.
Rep. Garin initially accompanied his father in questioning the police officer for allegedly coercing a victim to withdraw criminal complaint against a suspect for a physical attack at the plaza last December 22.
Rep. Garin pointed out that his actions against Macaya were not directed to the PNP institution.
“My actions were a mere display of extreme frustration towards one, single PNP personnel who committed great disservice to the people of Guimbal,” Rep. Garin said.
According to Rep. Garin, Macaya betrayed public trust by working to settle a criminal complaint against a 30-year-old man known to be a habitual delinquent. (Aaron Recuenco, Tara Yap)
