Provincial Director Edgardo Ingking of the Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday reacted sharply to the stinging tirades of Doloriech Dumaluan after the former Panglao mayor was barred from making a prison visit to his alleged assailant as a result of a shooting incident last August 25 where the doctor was wounded. The former mayor used the facilities of the two city radio stations in heaping verbal attacks to the PNP director as his reaction when he was refused to be allowed a visit to Teodulo Macalandag, the suspect in the shooting incident that wounded Dumaluan. Macalandag is detained at the PNP lock up jail. While in prison, Dumaluan sought permission from Police Senior Supt. Ingking to visit the suspect but the later refused. The former then went on air and lambasted Ingking for his refusal to allow him to visit the detainee. Macalandag is one of the respondents in at least four criminal complaints for attempted murder filed by the doctor as a result of the recent shootout near the Dumaluan Beach Resort in Bolod, Panglao town. The suspect was also wounded in the incident. In explaining his side of the controversy, Ingking said the prohibition on Dumaluan to grant him the detainee's visit, was based on standard operating procedure.
The provincial director said the Camp Dagohoy detention building is not an ordinary government facility. He said it is a vital government installation which houses the headquarters of the provincial police and a detention cell for suspects under custodial investigation. According to Ingking, security of the camp and all persons inside is the primary responsibility of the provincial director. He added as the prisoners are under the custody of the police, it is very important that all measurers should be undertaken to ensure their protection and treatment in accordance with the United Nations' Standard for Treatment on Inmates. For this reason, Ingking said, visitors may be denied access or entry.
Citing a basic provision of the SOP, Ingking said this pertains to the refusal of visitation by victims to the suspects who are responsible for the crime committed against them, especially if the crime involves taking or attempting to take the life of the victim. Ingking said this was based on the premise that victims, as human nature dictates, have the tendency to retaliate to the person responsible for shooting him. In the instant case, Ingking added, this was the primary reason why Dumaluan was not allowed to visit Macalandag who is the person suspected to be shooting him. At the same time, Ingking took exception to Dumaluan's accusations that he was bias to the other party in the shooting incident.
Ingking said when the report of the shooting reached the Tourist Police Office, police officers immediately responded to the crime scene and a series of actions were carried out by the police to ensure prompt and systematic investigation of the case. According to the provincial director, he cannot understand why he was accused of bias when police officers, after gathering enough evidences, filed at least four criminal complaints against Macalandag and several others. Col. Ingking formed a task force headed by Police Supt. Abner Catalla to look into the alleged shootout. The same task force also filed a criminal complaint, this time, against Dr. Dumaluan for illegal possession of firearm. A cal 9mm Glock 26 pistol was found in the crime scene and subsequent investigation showed that it was registered in the name of Dumaluan. Recovered in the crime scene, the firearm although licensed, its registration was found to have expired last January 26, 2009.
In the same press statement, Ingking also mentioned that this was the second time that a firearm owned by the ex-mayor was confiscated. On September 26, 2007 , a similar complaint was filed involving an AK 47 rifle licensed to Dumaluan which was confiscated by the police from Gregorio Dafeles, a person employed by Dumaluan as personal bodyguard. Records show that at the time of the arrest. Dafeles was already a wanted person who evaded his sentence for homicide covered under a Arrest Warrant by RTC Branch 91 of Quezon City dated Auguit 14, 1992. The criminal case is still pending in court. Dafeles is still detained at the PNP jail. Two other security guards employed by the former mayor were also facing illegal possession of firearms charges after they were found to have possessed shotguns not registered in their names.
|
