The cases against the first 35 Davao City Police Office (DCPO) officers relieved from duty due to Grave Misconduct charges related to alleged killings in the anti-illegal drug campaign have been forwarded to Camp Crame for summary hearings.
The charges stem from an operation on March 23 where 8 suspects were killed.
Attorney Jovito Arquita, Chief of the Intelligence and Investigation Division of the Regional Internal Affairs Services 11 (RIAS 11), stated that the cases are now with the national internal affairs service at Camp Crame and summary hearings are ongoing via Zoom.
“The officers are currently at our Regional Police Holding and Accounting Unit (RPHAU), awaiting a resolution from the NIAS to be forwarded to us,” Atty. Arquita explained.
Regarding the timeline for the investigation’s completion, he noted, “there are timelines, but sometimes our lawyers and respondents exhaust all remedies favorable to their clients, so it might take longer.”
When questioned about the possibility of reinstatement for the officers, Arquita stated, “I cannot comment on that… because we in RIAS only make recommendations.”
Probe into 19 police station commanders continues
Meanwhile, RIAS 11 is conducting a parallel investigation into another 19 DCPO police officers accused of double entry in records, misreporting, and tampering with blotters.
Arquita explained that the Regional Investigation Detective Management Division (R7) is involved because these actions constitute a breach of internal discipline, while RIAS handles cases like grave misconduct.
“They are already at the pre-charge level. We at RIAS validated their reports based on the Regional Director’s interview in Congress, and we also found instances of misreporting and underreporting in the blotter books of some Davao City stations,” he said.
If found guilty, Arquita said the officers could face varying consequences depending on the severity of their offenses.
“In the case of the 35, the charges vary depending on their individual roles. If you were the chief, of course, you have command responsibility for the incidents that occurred. If you were the shooter or just the bearer of the weapon, it depends on the offense committed,” he further explained.
The same applies to the 19 police station commanders.
Photo: Bing Gonzales
