Pasay police chief gives conflicting answers on drug test on slain father-and-son suspects

All it took was a text message for Pasay City police chief Sr. Supt. Nolasco Bathan to change his mind about the supposed drug examination conducted on JP Bertes, a drug suspect, and his father Renato, who were both killed while inside a police station in July.

Upon questioning from Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Bathan, who is Pasay police officer-in-charge, told a Senate panel that JP and Renato did not undergo drug and medical examination when they were arrested on July 7 at their Pasay residence.

Lacson, chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, stressed the importance of a drug examination to support the policemen's claim that the two tried to fight it out with them and were killed while trying to snatch a policeman's firearms.

"You did not establish that fact because you did not undertake drug examination," said Lacson.

At this point, Sen. Francis Escudero pointed out before the panel that based on an affidavit of one of the arresting policemen, a drug examination was conducted on the two.

Reading from the affidavit, Escudero said: "'Ipina-drug test namin itong mag-ama. Pagkatapos ng drug test ay bumalik kami sa [Station Anti-Illegal Drug unit]'... At doon naganap ang [barilan]."

Upon hearing Escudero's observation, Bathan took out his mobile phone to say one of his subordinates had just texted him.

Bathan read out the text message from one "Sr. Inspector Pascual:" "Sir, mayroon tayong resulta ng drug test. Positive po iyong dalawa."

Sen. Leila de Lima, chair of the Senate justice committee leading the probe, pointed out the timing of the text message. "Ngayon lang tinext?" she said, to which the Pasay police chief responded in the affirmative. —KBK, GMA News