Cop ‘took P750’ from mauling victim

NOT only did a team of six policemen maul them, one policeman also took the P750 cash from one of the victims.

Another policeman returned the cash he got from another victim.

The victims recognized one of the six armed men to be an operative of the Talamban police station.

These were revealed to SunStar Cebu by two of the three male victims of police mauling during a buybust operation in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City on April 18.

The two men approached SunStar Cebu Friday night, April 26, to tell their side of what happened on April 18.

“Gikuha sa usa ka pulis ang akong kwarta. P750. Maayo pa tong usa kay giuli pa, pero ang usa gikuha jud,” one victim said.

A video showing at least six armed men mauling three persons during what appeared to be a police operation is circulating online.

One of those mauled was the subject of the buy- bust, Eddie Basillote, who has since been detained at the Talamban Police Station.

The two victims said that they were playing a bingo game when a team of armed policemen barged into the gaming shop and roughed them up. The two victims were then told to squat in the corner as the police had their attention on Basillote.

The police left with Basillote but some came back and beat them, the two victims said.

They played dead so the police wouldn’t beat them further, they said. When they saw all the police had left, they fled.

One of them said they did not resist or fight the police during the operation. How could they fight back when they were beaten black and blue and had a gun trained at them, the two men said.

“Wala man mi nisukol gud. Unsaon pagsukol namo nga samtang gikulata mi, naa may gati-on namo?” he said.

They said they knew Basillote because, like them, he frequented the gaming shop and played there.

The two men positively identified one of the six armed men who mauled them to be an operative of Talamban Police Station.

SunStar Cebu is withholding the name of the police officer pending the development of the case.

The two victims denied the five small sachets of shabu allegedly recovered from them during the operation were theirs.

They said they will cooperate with Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Royina Garma in the investigation on the assurance that they and their families would be kept safe and secure.