8 cops pulled out over beating of drug suspect

CEBU CITY — Eight police officers have been pulled out from the Talamban police station after being accused of beating up a drug suspect during a drug bust last April 18.

The eight policemen were reassigned to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) while the Internal Affairs Service of the Central Visayas Police Regional Office conducts an investigation, said police regional chief Debold Sinas.

Sinas refused to identify the eight policemen pending the completion of the investigation.

Sinas called the move a “pullout” since relieving officers during election season is prohibited under the Omnibus Election Code.

Sinas said they will ask the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to facilitate the relief of the eight officers.

The Commission on Human Rights is also investigating the incident.

The eight policemen came under fire after a security camera footage showing eight men suspected to be members of the Talamban police made the rounds on social media.

The seven-minute video showed at least eight armed men in civilian clothes taking turns in manhandling a man identified as Edwin Basillote.

The person who uploaded the video on Facebook claimed she was a cousin of Basillote.

The chief of the Talamban police, Police Maj. Elisandro Quijano, has denied the eight men in the video were his men.

Basillote is currently detained at the Talamban police station.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña has offered a cash reward of 1100,000 to anyone who can provide the identities of the eight policemen.

In his Facebook page, Osmeña said he has being receiving information regarding the identities of six of the eight persons in the video.

Osmeña said that according to the information he received, the team leader of the operation was Police Staff Sgt. Reoven Carmelo Rota. Rota. The other policemen in the video were identified as Police Sgt. Brendro Tudtud and certains Adalim, Lagunsad, Tagalog and “Magdali.”

Police Col. Royina Garma, Cebu City police chief, confirmed that the policemen mentioned by Osmeña were among the eight relieved police officers.