NCRPO chief: Nabbed lawyers refused to identify selves, threatened cops during Makati bar raid

The three lawyers arrested for alleged obstruction of justice after a raid at a popular bar in Makati refused to identify themselves and respond to police's query while authorities were conducting the search, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Police Director Guillermo Eleazar said Saturday.

"They refuse to identify themselves, they refuse to tell us kung ano ang kanilang role doon and then magmamando sila at makikialam po doon ay bastusan na po yun," Eleazar said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

Lawyers Lenie Rocel Rocha, Jan Vincent Soliven, and Romulo Bernard Alarkon were arrested Thursday afternoon at the Time in Manila bar in Barangay Poblacion, Makati City.

The Southern Police District said the three, who purportedly claimed to be lawyers of one of the bar's owners, entered the premises during a subsequent search by the police, "took several picture and videos of the scene," and "intimidated the members of the searching team without proper and prior coordination."

"Ang nangyari po kasi niyan during the conduct of search ay dumating po 'yang mga 'yan and then pumasok sila. Tapos tinatanong po kung sino sila, ayaw pong magsalita. Tinatanong kung sila ay abogado, hindi rin po nagsabi na sila ay abogado," Eleazar said.

The NCRPO chief said that if only the three lawyers properly coordinated and identified themselves, the searching party would have been glad to assist them during the conduct of the search at the Time on Manila.

"Pero 'yung kausapin mo pero ayaw kang sagutin at tatakutin ka pa ay bastusan na po 'yan e," Eleazar said.

"Nung na-arrest na sila at dinala sa police station doon lang sila nagpakilala na nire-represent ang may-ari ng bar na punong-puno ng binebentang droga," he said.

Police raided the establishment last Saturday, arrested 31 employees for allegedly supplying and distributing illegal drugs, and recovered a few pieces of alleged ecstasy tablets, several plastic sachets of alleged cocaine and shabu, and drug paraphernalia. Over a hundred people were rounded up.

The three lawyers have been released from Makati City police station on Friday afternoon after they secured a release order from the prosecutor's office. — MDM, GMA News