Five Cabiao policemen charged
FIVE police officers from Nueva Ecija are facing criminal and administrative charges filed by an individual whom they arrested after serving search warrant for illegal possession of hand grenade at the latter’s house in Barangay San Fernando Norte, Cabiao.
The cases were filed on Friday, March 1, before the Office of the Ombudsman in Diliman, Quezon City by Noel Montano, resident of Purok 4, Barangay San Fernando Norte.
Named respondents were Maj. Shariel Paulino, Cpt. Sherwin Veloria, Cpl. Arvin Rove Velasco, Cpl. Jordan Talavera, SSgt. Joy Kristine Villar and John Does, all assigned in Cabiao Municipal Police Station.
In his five-page complaint affidavit, Montano claimed that the five police officers violated Section 4 (a) of Republic Act 9516 (Planting of Evidence), committed grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a police officer, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and other violations.
In his statement, Montano said that in the afternoon of Feb. 21, 2024 while he was taking care of his seriously ill mother who had just undergone a surgery, a group of policemen, led by Cpt. Noel Manalastas, went to their house to serve a search warrant.
Montano said that Manalastas informed him of the search warrant issued by the Gapan City Regional Trial Court upon the request of Cabiao Police Station for reportedly keeping firearms of high caliber.
The search warrant was served by the police operatives charged, accompanied by Councilors Jacinto Santos and Aaron Manalad.
Montano said that the team searched their kitchen, living room and cabinets but no firearms or any weapon were found.
He said the last place the policemen searched was the loft of the house where the rooms of Montano’s nephew, sister and his ailing mother are located.
The complainant said he was shocked when, after searching the loft, the policemen declared a grenade found under the pillow of his sick mother.
“I protested the finding because first, I never owned any explosive, especially a grenade that may put our lives in peril and, second, no one in his right mind would hide a grenade under the pillow of his ailing mother that had just gone under the knife,” Montano said in his sworn statement.
“It was at this point that I realized I was being set up and suspected that someone had placed the grenade in my mother’s bed before or during the search for a caliber .9mm pistol and ammunition which the police officers never found,” he added.
Montano also cited in his complaint that during his inquest on the day after he was arrested, the Assistant Provincial Prosecutor dismissed the charges against him.
“On February 22, 2024, during my inquest, the Hon. Susan M. Apolonio, Senior Asst. Provincial Prosecutor, dismissed the charges against me, citing ‘there is nothing enumerated in the search warrant that was recovered from the possession of the respondent,” Montano said in his affidavit.
“My predicament has caused so much injustice, public humiliation, anxiety and undue persecution as my rights were directly violated,” he said.
In his text message, BGen. Jose Hidalgo Jr, regional director of Police Regional Office 3, said that Montano has the liberty to file a case against the police officers who implemented the search warrant.