6 Caloocan cops allegedly take street vendor's cash aid

Six members of Caloocan City police were temporarily relieved from their post for allegedly taking a street vendor's P14,000 cash aid from the government.

According to Maki Pulido’s report on "24 Oras," victim Eddie Yuson was on his way to buy dinner for his children when the cops allegedly cornered him and inspected his bags.

CCTV footage captured the incident which showed the policemen searching  through the victim’s wallet and then hitting him on the head.

“Yung wallet po ni papa na kulay blue hinalungkat na po tapos isa-isang yung perang andun po sa wallet… kinuha po,” Marjolaine Yuson, the victim’s daughter said.

(They searched  my father's blue wallet and stole the money inside it.)

“Pumunta po kasi si papa para bilhan kami ng pagkain na pasalubong po samin. Hinarang daw .. bigla na lang daw po sya kinapkapan,” she said.

(My father went out to buy us food… He said they blocked him and searched him.)

The reports said Yuson had P14,000 cash in his wallet as livelihood assistance  from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. He was planning on using it as his capital to sell bottled water and soft drinks.

Marjolaine said her father tried to appeal for the cops to return his money.

“Nakakalungkot din po kasi imbis na pagkatiwalaan po namin ang mga pulis na trauma na rin po kami,” she said.

(It was saddening because instead of trusting the police, we were traumatized by what happened.)

Caloocan police chief Colonel Samuel Mina confirmed the policemen involved were members of their anti-drug enforcement unit but denied such an incident happened.

Based on the cops' accounts, they asked for the victim’s identification cards after they noticed him in the area where they were conducting an anti-illegal drug operation.

“They vehemently denied the accusation…Kasi sabi lang nila, chineck nila yung body bag nya. Kasi umaaligid sya sa legitimate na anti-drug operations. Standard procedure nila na i-verify kung sino sya, chineck body bag nya, Kinuha mga IDs nya,” said Mina.

(“They vehemently denied the accusation… They said they only checked his body bag because he in the area where there is a legitimate anti-drug operation. It’s their standard procedure to verify his identification. That’s why they searched his body bag and took his IDs.)

“Let’s give everyone the benefit of the doubt at saka i-determine natin kung sino nagsasabi na totoo sa proper forum na lang,” he said.

Yuson has yet to return to his business due to lack of capital.

GMA News is still trying to reach him but his relatives said he would be filing charges against the police.—Sundy Mae Locus/LDF, GMA News