CIDG clears Region 6 cops of abuse of power allegation in raiding Iloilo capitol

By Ronron
January 24, 2007

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) cleared yesterday the members of the Region 6 police who raided the Iloilo Capitol last January 17 of allegations of “abuse of power” to implement the dismissal order against Governor Niel Tupas, Sr.

In a statement, Director Edgardo Doromal, CIDG chief, said video footage of the incident showed that the police action was “reasonable and appropriate,” citing factors coming from the side of Tupas.

“Far from being an overkill, as claimed by opposition quarters, the (PNP) had fielded just enough policemen – 200 – to maintain peace and order at the Provincial Capitol, which, an estimated one thousand supporters of the governor, had barricaded with the support of heavily armed men holed up inside the building,” Doromal said yesterday.

Doromal flew to Iloilo City last Friday to personally investigate the incident.

He blamed the supporters of Tupas, led by the latter’s son, Provincial Board Member Niel Tupas, Jr., for the tension that arose at the capitol in the afternoon of January 17, saying that the police actually “observed standard procedures in trying to disperse and break the crowd that had blockaded the entry to the capitol.”

Doromal justified the breaking of glass walls by the police by saying that many civilians were already trapped inside the building and could not leave because of Tupas’ supporters’ blockade.

“Fearful of a stampede that could severely hurt or even kill many of these trapped civilians, the RMG (Regional Mobile Group) team (of 65 members) had no recourse but to break glass panels to provide a safe passageway for them,” Doromal said.

He said the responding troops were in fighting form that time because there were reports that Tupas was also flanked inside the capitol building with armed provincial jail guards, armed blue guards, and members of Bayan Muna, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilpinas, and Gabriela.

Even the younger Tupas was in possession of nine firearms, including assault rifles, said Doromal.

“PNP personnel did not point their guns at Tupas’s son and daughter but were merely asking them to halt and sit down. While everyone had complied with the order, one of their companions suddenly stood up, prompting one member of the RMG contingent to respond in accordance with police operational procedures when met with civilians who were either resisting or refusing to cooperate with lawmen,” Doromal said.

He noted that prior to the operation, the raiding team, which also include the Civil Disturbance Management Group, assessed the situation at hand and were adequately briefed of the proper police operations guidelines during crisis situations.

“The responding team had taken into account that the Capitol is a 2,248 square meter, six-storey building with 37 offices that ordinarily needs more than a hundred highly trained special weapons and tactics personnel to secure,” Doromal said.

But he said that at the end of it all, what was important is that no single shot was fired and that no physical injury was reported during the crisis, except for the small scratch on the younger Tupas’ arm.

The tension at the capitol defused before sunset of that day after Tupas got a copy of the Temporary Restraining Order issued by the Court of Appeals in Cebu against the dismissal order issued by the Ombudsman./DMS