5 Chinese in Las Piñas raid still with PNP despite DOJ release order

The five Chinese who were arrested in an anti-human trafficking operation in Las Piñas remain in police custody despite a release order from the Department of Justice, their lawyer told reporters on Monday.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday said that the inquest proceedings on the five Chinese resulted in their being released "for further preliminary investigation."

The five Chinese nationals identified as Li Jiacheng, alias Li Jiachang, Xiao Liu, alias Xiao Lin, Yan Jiayong, alias Pan Wen Jie, Duan Haozhuan, and LP Hongkun, alias Li Yang, on June 30 went through inquest proceedings.

According to Raffy Tima's report on "24 Oras," police released the five from the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame but were transferred to the supposed POGO compound in Las Piñas.

They are reportedly being kept in a room and have been prohibited from using the phone.

‘PNP should have left’

The June 26 search warrant which was used in the police operation has already expired, the lawyer said.

He said a search warrant was only valid for ten days.

"So dapat July 7, dapat wala na 'yung ating kapulisan dito," Vargas said.

(By July 7, the police should have left the premises.)

“Pero hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin sila pinapalaya ng ating mga kapulisan no? Nandoon pa rin sila sa loob ng compound kahit meron nang order ang DOJ,” he said.

(Until now, they are still detained by the police. They are still in the compound despite the order of the DOJ.)

Vargas said their camp would file a petition for habeas corpus for the release of the five foreigners.

‘Lack of evidence’

In an interview on Monday, Remulla criticized the Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) for supposedly failing to coordinate with the Department of Justice (DOJ) before the raid.

“Manghuhuli pero walang kaso. Ano, magtatanim ka ng kaso? Hindi puwede sa DOJ. Hindi kami papayag diyan,” Remulla said.

(You'd arrest persons without a case. Will you plant evidence? That cannot be okay with the DOJ. We will not allow that.)

According to Remulla, many pending cases could not be filed due to lack of evidence.

When asked about the supposed blunders of the PNP-ACG, he said the policemen did not cite specific acts or specific grounds to arrest the said individuals.

"Basta raid lang, raid, gano'n… Pumasok lang sila. Parang nangingisda,” he said.

(They just conducted a raid… They just entered the premises. As if they were fishing.)

GMA News Online has sought comment from the PNP but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.

Anti-trafficking operation

The Chinese were arrested after police authorities rescued almost 3,000 individuals from a compound in the city. Of this, 1,534 were Filipinos and 1,190 were from Malaysia, Singapore, China, and Vietnam.

According to Remulla, around 1,000 victims are still in the country.

He said all the Filipinos have returned home while they are processing the cancellation of the visas of the other victims.

“'Yan ang problema kapag ayaw kasi makinig eh. Sinasabi na namin na mag-usap muna tayo bago kayo kikilos tapos gusto nila file kami ng file ng kaso kahit wala kaming ebidensya. Hindi namin gagawin yun,” he said.

(This is the problem when people refuse to listen. We’ve said that we should first coordinate before acting and now they want us to file a case even without evidence. We will not do that.)

Remulla said he has yet to talk with PNP chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. as he had just returned to work following his bypass surgery, but expressed that he wanted to. —NB/KG, GMA Integrated News