Suspended Cebu City Assistant Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro, accompanied by her counsel Vesmind Santiago, files charges against Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan, former head of the Philippine National Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, and 10 other policemen before the Talisay City Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Suspended Cebu City Assistant Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro yesterday asked the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI 7) to also carry out a probe against the 11 police officers who arrested her last March 7.
Castro sought the NBI investigation just a day after she filed a damage suit against the same police officers before the Talisay City Regional Trial Court.
She accused them of allegedly violating her constitutional rights and for humiliating her in public following a confrontation inside Camp Sergio Osmeña, the Philippine National Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO 7) last March 7. She sought at least P667,100 in damages from each of the respondents.
NBI Assistant Director Ernesto Macabare, following a meeting with Castro yesterday, promised to conduct a thorough probe on the complaint.
In an interview, Castro said the respondents should be charged in court for serious illegal detention, unlawful arrest, maltreatment of detention prisoner, robbery, slander, incriminating innocent person, physical injuries, among others.
Named respondents in the NBI complaint were Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan, former director of PRO 7; Supt. Rex Derilo, head of Regional Special Operation Group in Central Visayas (RSOG 7); and other RSOG officers, namely, Senior Insp. Romeo Sentinta Jr., Senior Insp. Ruel Burlat, SPO1 Roy Carlo Veloso, PO3 Joseph Bugtai, PO2 Esmeraldo Quillosa, PO3 Cesar Pandong, PO3 Albert Luardo, PO1 Khristine Jean Quibod, and PO1 Hyacinth Clavano.
Macabare said the respondents would be asked to respond to the complaint and refute the allegations raised against them by Castro.
Last March 7, Castro and her six companions were arrested inside the RSOG 7 office for allegedly attacking her estranged husband’s live-in partner whom she had earlier sued for four counts of libel.
The prosecutor allegedly went berserk, harassed the policemen, bit one of them, and ordered her companions to forcibly open the door of the room where Maricel Gregory, the live-in partner of her estranged husband Greco Sanchez, was held under custody.
RSOG filed against Castro and her companions charges for direct assault and malicious mischief before the Municipal Trial Court in Cities. Castro and her co-accused are now out on bail.