Manila cops defend actions on Menorca’s arrest

The three police officers and the station commander who led the arrest of former Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) minister Lowell Menorca in Malate, Manila the other day were summoned by the Manila Police District (MPD) officials and ordered to formally explain their side on the controversial operation.

A viral video of Menorca’s arrest showed members of the arresting team in civilian clothes serving the warrant of arrest while he was on his way to the Court of Appeals to testify against the influential religious group.

But in an interview, Leonardo justified their approach to Menorca.

“I have spent 13 years in the CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) and I never served a warrant wearing my uniform,” he said.

“My tracker team served the warrant of arrest and they wore civilian clothes but I would just like to emphasize that they did not have guns with them as opposed to what was said on TV. We did not violate anything when we did not wear our uniforms. This is because if policemen would wear uniforms in serving warrants, the subject of our arrest could easily flee,” Leonardo pointed out.

Police Officer 3 Arnel Santos, Police Officer 2 Dennis Ramos and Police Officer 2 Samson Sison, members of the Pandacan station tracker team, likewise gave their formal statements which detailed their participation in the operation that stemmed from a libel case filed against Menorca in Lanao del Norte.

Countersuit, excessive force Lawyer Trixie Cruz-Angeles, counsel of Menorca, said the they would countersue the MPD policemen who filed charges of resisting arrest, direct assault and obstruction of justice against her client for allegedly resisting the arresting officers.

She insisted that the arrest made by the policemen against her client was highly irregular.

“They were not in uniform. Actually, the police committed numerous mistakes here, they were not in police uniform, they were also not able to present their identification cards but they were not able to present one, even their badge when asked by Mrs. Menorca,” Atty. Angeles said.

She also questioned the “disproportionate use of force” by the policemen in arresting Menorca considering that the case he is being apprehended is only for libel.

Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor, PNP spokesman, said the MPD leadership is now conducting internal investigation while the Camp Crame-based Internal Affairs Service (IAS) is also conducting a probe of its own.

“The intent is to determine if there is or there are lapses in the observation of procedures in serving the arrest warrant,” said Mayor. (With reports from Leonard D. Postrado and Aaron B. Recuenco)