Manila — Guimbal Mayor Oscar Garin and his son Rep. Richard Garin are facing seven criminal complaints filed by the police officer they beat up in Iloilo and four administrative cases filed by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
PNP Region 6 director Chief Supt. John Bulalacao told Inquirer.net that the cases were filed yesterday.
The two politicians were earlier accused of mauling PO3 Federico Macaya Jr. The policeman was allegedly disarmed, frisked, and hand cuffed by the suspects.
Macaya was also allegedly slapped, spat at, and threatened while being held at gunpoint. His belongings were also taken by the Garins, police said.
Senior Supt. Marlon Tayaba, Iloilo police director, said the four administrative complaints against the father and son include grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming, oppression, abuse of authority and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the public.
The respondents were also slapped with seven criminal complaints for direct assault, grave coercion, grave threats, physical injuries, slander by deeds, serious illegal detention and alarm and scandal.
Tayaba said the beating up of Macaya appeared to be planned, citing an account of Macaya that Rep. Garin ordered one of his bodyguards to turn off the security camera at the area where the legislator handcuffed the policeman before beating him up early Wednesday morning near the Guimbal town plaza in Iloilo.
Prior to beating up a policeman, the Garins have also allegedly mauled other police officers and civilians, Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, director of the Western Visayas Police, said yesterday.
Bulalacao said retired police officers in the town are now speaking up about the alleged physical abuse they experienced under the Garins.
[They say] they have been very arrogant. They have the tendency to do physical harm and then bibigyan nila ng pera para hindi magreklamo (they will give the victims money in exchange for not filing cases),” he added.
Garin on Wednesday issued an apology claiming that he was angered by the failure of a policeman (apparently referring to Macaya) in filing a complaint against a resident who allegedly assaulted another resident on December 22.
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