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NCRPO orders relief of entire MPD Station 1 drug enforcement unit
Aside from Manila Police District Station 1 commander Supt. Roberto Domingo, National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Oscar Albayalde also ordered on Friday the relief of the entire Station Drug Enforcement Group.
Albayalde and MPD director Chief Supt. Joel Coronel inspected on Friday morning the secret detention cell found by the Commission on Human Rights on Thursday inside MPD station 1.
“In light of the inspection conducted, I ordered the administrative relief of the Station Commander 1 Supt. Domingo and the Station Drug Enforcement Unit,” he said in a press statement.
Domingo was replaced by Supt. Albert Barot.
The Metro Manila police chief thanked the CHR for inspecting the detention cell “so that they're able to see the real condition of these facilities."
“We must recognize that this problem (of congestion) is not just in one police station but almost in all our stations regionwide," he said.
Domingo claimed that the supposed secret cell was intended to decongest the jail.
“Ang total nang nakakulong doon eh 70 na. Tapos 'yung nasa babae, ang capacity lang ng nakakulong dapat sampu lang. Ang nakakulong na, 15,” Domingo explained in an interview with Unang Balita.
“So napag-isip ako, paano ko kaya made-decongest at mapapaluwag sana 'yung mga preso? Kasi kung matulog 'yung mga bilanggo, nakaupo tapos shifting pa...In my own initiative, para lang din 'di mahirapan, nagpa-extend ako,” he added.
Domingo said the lock-up cell was behind a cabinet because the police station has no funds to have a door built.
Albayalde described the incident as an eye opener.
“This is an eye opener for all of us to revisit the need for better cell detention and improvement of our jail facilities,” he said.
He also requested local government units to support the police in looking at building better detention cells for arrested individuals in the police stations while waiting for their commitment orders to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
He said since his first day in office as director of NCRPO, they have already tapped the services of the former member of the CHR, lawyer Wilhelm Soriano, to reorient and conduct talks with police regarding human rights.
Albayalde said the Internal Affairs Service has already started its probe on the secret jail and they will wait for its recommendation.
“Rest assured that we have in mind the best interest of the community and we will not tolerate any illegal act committed by our policemen,” he said. —KG, GMA News
