Cebu City Assistant City Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro shows to Senior Supt. Lyndon Rey Lawas how she and his companions entered the Regional Police Special Operations Group office and how they were arrested. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Charges of serious illegal detention, robbery, and grave misconduct were being prepared against some policemen who figured in a commotion with Cebu City Assistant Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro shortly before midnight of March 7.
Castro, who is out on bail, said she will file the serious illegal detention case before the Visayas Ombudsman and Police regional director Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan.
The feisty government prosecutor met with Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, deputy director for operations of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), to give her side and reenact the incident. She was accompanied by Gaudiosa Rodrigo and Hazel Mabuyo, who were also arrested last Monday.
“Dili nako i-expose akong kaugalingon ug perjury if I am telling the truth (I would not expose myself of perjury if I am telling the truth),” she told Lawas.
Lawas advised her to send a letter to Gaerlan asking for an investigation.
“Atong ipatubag nila (We will let the policemen answer this),” he told Castro.
Castro alleged that the policemen seized three mobile phones: an iMZO phone with pink and white casing, an LG touch screen phone with green and white casing and a Starmobile phone.
The iMZO phone was allegedly used by Mabuyo to take a video of the incident.
Castro said she had asked Benjielito Lapera, a construction worker, to pick the lock on the door to the office of Supt. Arnold Palomo, where Maricel Raffinan Gregory was hiding.
Gregory, long time live-in partner of Castro’s estranged Muslim husband Leodegreco “Greco” Sanchez, had surrendered to the police after a warrant for her arrest was issued. Gregory is facing four counts of Internet libel filed by Castro.
During the reenactment yesterday, Castro said Gregory gathered her two children and locked themselves inside Palomo’s office upon seeing her. Watch video: Mary Ann reenacts ruckus inside police office
Castro said she had been looking for Gregory since March 4, after securing a copy of the arrest warrant.
She asked Supt. George Ylanan, deputy director for operations at the Cebu City Police Office, on Monday morning to alert all stations about the arrest warrant against Gregory.
At 2:45 p.m. on Monday, Castro said she learned that Gregory was staying in Room 165 in a hotel in Guadalupe. The hotel management did not allow Castro to knock on the door, so Castro checked in the hotel and took Room 164.
About three hours later, at 5:17 p.m., Castro said she received a text message that Gregory was in the custody of the Regional Intelligence Division or R2 office at PRO-7 in Camp Sergio Osmeña.
At 7 p.m., Castro said she went to R2 and learned that Gregory was not there. She was told to check the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG).
At the RSOG in the same police camp, Castro said she got mad upon seeing that Gregory and police officers Senior Insp. Romeo Sententa and Senior Insp. Ruel Burlat were playing with Gregory’s two sons. Gregory and her two sons then locked themselves inside Palomo’s office.
Cebu City Assistant City Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro shows to Senior Supt. Lyndon Rey Lawas how she and his companions entered the Regional Police Special Operations Group office and how they were arrested. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Castro showed Lawas a photo of Burlat sitting inside the RSOG while Sententa read the arrest warrant outside Palomo’s office.
Castro said Sententa told her they would turn over Gregory to her if she could unlock the door.
The prosecutor left and when she returned at 9:30 p.m., she was already accompanied by Lapera, Rodrigo, Mabuyo, William Contamina, Leo Suaso and Jonas Niñes.
Castro said Burlat, Veloso and two other policemen watched as Lapera picked the lock while Mabuyo took a video.
When the door was opened, Castro said she was surprised that the police arrested Contamina, Suaso and Niñes.
Lapera, meanwhile, was held and allegedly beaten by Veloso and Sententa.
As Lapera shouted for help, Castro said she bit Burlat in the arm and shielded Lapera from the beatings.
Castro and her six companions went to a private hospital to have themselves checked. She said the medical reports will be used to support the complaints against the policemen.
Castro and Sanchez, son of the late vice-governor Greg Sanchez, got married in an Islamic rite in August last year. They separated shortly after and Sanchez reconciled with Gregory, who is reportedly pregnant with their third child.
Because of last Monday’s commotion, Castro and her companions were charged with a string of cases by the police. She and her companions are out on bail.