PNP denies alleged police brutality in Las Piñas raid

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday denied allegations of police brutality during a raid in Las Piñas City where around 3,000 Filipino and foreign workers were rescued.

Interviewed on GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita, PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said some foreign nationals became unruly and tried to escape from authorities, which led to some minor injuries.

“Dinedeny po natin na nagkaroon ng police brutality. In-implement po natin yung search warrant (We deny that there was police brutality. We just implemented the search warrant),” Fajardo said.

“Yung iba pong foreign nationals who became unruly ay nagkaroon po ng minor injuries when they attempted to escape during the implementation ng search warrant,” she added.

(Some foreign nationals who became unruly sustained minor injuries when they attempted to escape during the implementation of the search warrant.)

Fajardo said some of them ran and tried to jump over the gates.

Some security guards and police officers also had minor injuries during the operation, according to Fajardo.

She added that a group of foreign nationals allegedly mobbed a lawyer from the Public Attorney's Office (PAO).

Authorities implemented a search warrant in the compound in Las Piñas over an alleged human trafficking situation.

On June 30, five Chinese suspects were subjected to inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice in Manila for violation of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2022 and Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

So far, four Chinese and two Taiwanese fugitives were discovered among the rescued workers, according to the PNP.

Meanwhile, the company that was raided, Xinchuang Network Technology, has denied that it is involved in human trafficking.

Atty. Christian Vargas, the firm's legal counsel, told reporters last week that the business of the company is legitimate, and its owners are considering filing a complaint against the police for the raid. —Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA Integrated News