5 guards seek help versus cop

FIVE security guards of the Cebu Ports Authority (CPA) are seeking help from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) after a police official filed charges for robbery extortion against them.

Hanz Estoquia, Crismar Olimba, Eduardo Intan, Ken Marollano and Jose Garing, all from Golden Dragon Security Agency, said they believed that the charges filed by Insp. Goldwin Pilapil were just a form of harassment.

The security guards accused Pilapil of retaliating after they filed administrative charges against him for allegedly pointing a gun at them.

The security guards said at the height of typhoon Egay last July 5, Pilapil instructed them to dismantle a tent at Terminal 1 to prevent it from being blown away by strong winds.

Because of the strong winds and the heavy rain, the security guards failed to dismantle the tent right away. This irked the police official.

The security guards said Pilapil confronted them and told them to go home and not come to work  for five days.

The police official allegedly tried to slap Marollano in the face, but he managed to evade.

The security guards said they were later instructed to proceed to Pilapil’s office. It was there that the policeman allegedly poked a gun at Estoquia.

Because of the incident, the security guards filed charges for misconduct against Pilapil before the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas.

Last Sept. 10., the policeman filed robbery extortion against the security guards.

Pilapil alleged that the five security guards approached him. He said the security guards were willing to drop the charges as long as he pays them P50,000 each.

Pilapil said the accusations against him were fabricated.

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