PNP official said 16 cops in Caloocan raid being investigated

September 15, 2017

Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service (IAS) Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo said Friday the 16 Caloocan police officers involved in raiding a house last week without a search warrant are undergoing investigation.

"The IAS has a mandate to conduct an automatic investigation or motu proprio to all police operation with injury, death and violation of human rights", Triambulo said.

He said they are in the process of fact-finding.

"We will go to the area, conduct an interview, will get the record after that  they will recommend a pre-charge investigation', he said.

The 16 Caloocan policemen allegedly raided a house of a woman without search warrant. The cops reportedly got valuables worth P30,000. The cops were seen in a CCTV footage entering the house with a minor, reports added.

Triambulo said they will find out if cops had a search warrant before the operation to enter the house and to bring a minor along.

"First no search warrant. We will look at that in their documents and if they can show us the search warrant we will validate it in court", he said.

He said a police can only bring a witness if they have search warrant.

This incident prompted National Capital Region Police Office director Oscar Alabayalde to announce Friday morning that all cops in Caloocan will be relieved.

He said 62 Caloocan policemen and 13 NCRPO public safety battalion personnel were relieved on Friday, in an interview with ANC.

Albayalde said all the officers relieved will undergo retraining and will be replaced by Regional Public Safety Battalion.

Triambulo said the decision of the NCRPO director to relieve all the police officers of Caloocan is good.

"It is better when they were relieved and disarmed because...if IAS is the one to disarm them there may be a gunfight so what we asked them is for them to coordinate the immediate commander", he said.

Caloocan police have been controversial following the death of 17-year old Kian Delos Santos who was shot by policemen after allegedly firing at them. Carl Angelo Arnaiz, 19, who reportedly tried to rob a taxi driver, died at the hands of the police, the taxi driver claimed. Alanna Ambi/DMS