Four Lapu-Lapu cops, who were caught on camera beating a man they arrested, relieved from post

Officers of Lapu-lapu City Police Offcie (LLCPO) were caught on camera while beating a man they later arrested, outside the Lapu-lapu City Auditorium in Barangay Poblacion past 12 a.m. ons Sunday, November 17. | Screen grabbed from Akrho video

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Four police officers assigned at Station 3 of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office were administratively relieved this morning, November 18, 2019, after they were caught in a video beating a man, whom they later arrested.

The video, which spread through the social media, prompted Police Colonel Clarito Baja, LLCPO chief, to relieve the police officers, while they were being investigated about the incident, which happened at past 12 a.m. of November 17 at the Lapu-Lapu City auditorium.

Police Chief Master Sergeant Joseph Andrin, desk officer of LLCPO Police Station 3, said in a phone interview that those relieved were Police Staff Sergeant Adrian Yunting, Police Master Sergeant Rodrigo Inok, Police Staff Sergeant Dexter Albario and Police Corporal John Paul Sojor.

Baja said that they were restricted to the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office while they were being investigated.

Baja said that the police officers involved were guarding the area for security with the ongoing different activities in the city leading to its fiesta celebrations on November 20.

He said they were also originally arresting a certain Glenn Espinosa Jr., who was reported to have assaulted a multicab driver, when the incident happened.

But a few minutes after the arrest of Espinosa, the police officers approached and arrested two other persons whom the officers claimed to have been involved in a scandal and assault to fellow officers.

In the video posted online by a netizen, the arresting officers punched the other man several times before he was being arrested. They also arrested the man’s companion. Those arrested were Danilo Taghoy Jr. and Paul Pogoy.

According to Taghoy and Pogoy’s lawyer, Ronald Sitoy, the two arrested were members of the fraternity, Alpha Kappa Rho (Akrho) that was organizing a music event in the area.

Sitoy said that his clients were just passing by the area to bring snacks to fellow fratmen when they were violently arrested.

Taghoy and Pogoy went through inquest proceedings for a case of direct assault, scandal, slight injury, obstruction of justice and drunkenness at Lapu-Lapu Prosecutor’s Office today, November 18.

Sitoy said they were planning to file a case against the police officers, but he had yet to discuss this with his clients.

The lawyer said that they were planning to post bail tomorrow (November 19).

Baja, for his part, said that he and the police officers involved were ready to face the consequences of their actions.

He said that the police officers had some lapses with the way they handled the arrest at that time.

But he said that the police officers were also doing their job when they arrested the two fratmen, whom they accused of throwing a water bottle at them earlier.

He also claimed that the two men were under the influence of liquor

“Kay violation man pud nila (Because they also committed some violations),” said Baja./dbs