By APD writer Melo M. Acuna

MANILA, Feb. 14 (APD) – police Director Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar, National Capital Region police chief relieve five policemen assigned to the Cultural Center of the Philippines Community Precinct 1 in Pasay City for allegedly mishandling an Acts of Lasciviousness case against Chinese national Zhang Yang.

In a statement, Director Eleazar said the five policemen were declared on floating status and detailed at the Pasay City police Station holding section while the case is pending investigation.

He said he immediately ordered the immediate relief of police Chief Inspector Remedios Terte and four other policemen while a fair and formal fact-finding investigation is going on.

Earlier police reports disclosed that on February 7,2019, the suspect, identified as Zhang Yang, was arrested at 11:00 A.M. at Star City, an entertainment hub after three females accused him of touching their breasts inside the hub’s Horror House. A commotion ensued and private security guards immediately respondent and arrested the Chinese national, said to be an employee in an online gaming facility.

The guards turned over the suspect to responding policemen from the community precinct under Chief Inspector Terte. The suspect was subjected to an investigation. The victims and their respective mothers also went to the precinct to file their complaints.

According to Director Eleazar, it was at the precinct that the five policemen proposed a settlement between the two parties and tried to persuade the victims and their mothers to agree to a settlement.

In a three-way radio interview, Director Eleazar learned from one of the mothers that the policemen involved proposed that the case be settled amicably. It was learned Director Eleazar said the police should never initiate settlement or arrangement between the parties involved.

“It is the job of the police to file the necessary complaints by the aggrieved party with the Office of the City Prosecutor,” he said. He added what is worse is when police officers, who are quick to propose settlement ask for “arrangement fees” from both the victims and the suspect.

Since the victims turned down the proposed settlement, the case was turned over to the Women and Children Protection Desk of the police station concerned for further investigation and proper disposition.

“The suspect was brought for inquest proceedings before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office,” Director Eleazar added.

The suspect remains detained at the Pasay City Custodial Center.

The police officer concluded that “agents in authority can never be and should not be an instrument of any form of abuse but simply the protector of the people.”

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)