Four policemen assigned at the Carbon Police Station in Cebu City were accused of mauling a 30-year-old man during a commotion in a downtown videoke bar at Friday dawn.
Von Rovi Alfeche and his parents showed up at the Investigation and Detective Management Branch and filed a complaint against PO3 Antonio Tejero, PO3 Arvin Hernandez, PO3 Jonas Abe Catubig and PO3 Jerome Soque.
Von Rovi’s brother Jasper Alfeche was arrested by the four policemen, who accused him of disrespecting them.
The incident happened in a videoke bar on Sanciangko Street.
It was around 4 a.m. when Jasper, Von Rovi and their 72-year-old father Rolando rushed to the bar to look for a group of men who allegedly harassed his sister.
The woman was buying food when a group of drunk men harassed her.
Jasper identified Nerio Quijano, a 44-year-old carpenter from Carcar City, as the one who grabbed his sister’s hand.
Management of the bar called the police when a commotion took place between the Alfeches and the group of customers.
When the four policemen arrived, they asked the woman if she was willing to file a complaint.
Rolando intervened and asked the policemen not to talk to his daughter first since she was still in the state shock.
An argument followed.
Von Rovi said that PO3 Tejero threatened to slam his father to the ground.
“I asked him why he would beat up my father who’s already very old,” said Von Rovi.
According toVon Rovi, the policeman dismissed him, saying “wala ka’y labot bisan kinsa pa inyong palaban, inyong tawagan wala ko mahadlok ingna nga si PO3 Antonio Tejero ko (I don’t care if you call someone to back you up. Im not scared just tell them I am PO3 Antonio Tejero).”
When Von Rovi responded, “PO3 na diay ka sir (So you are PO3 sir)”, the policeman choked him and punched him in the stomach.
Chief Insp. Noel Lomente said the four policemen denied the allegations against them.
He said his men are ready to face the charges and would file their own charges against the Alfeches.
Lomente said his men just went to the bar to respond to a trouble alarm.
Lomente said it was the Alfeches who shouted at the responding policemen.
The Alfeches submitted to the police a copy of the video footage that captured the mauling incident.