CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/9 Nov) – When they received the order to “immediately proceed to the male barracks,” a beating from their own senior non-commissioned officers was the last on their minds.
Police Officers 1 Job J. Seronay and Nick Ryan A. Ampong, organic members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and presently detailed at the Regional Headquarters Service Support Group (RHSSG 10) in Camp Vicente Alagar here, filed criminal and administrative cases of physical injuries against five of their senior NCOs of the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB 10) at Camp Gen. Nicolas Capistrano in Barangay Gusa.
In their affidavits of complaints, both Seronay and Ampong claimed that at 9:45 p.m. on June 22, SPO2 Charles C. Osip, PO1s Dhon Isador P. Oracoy, Rex E. Luzdoc, Reynante H. Cam and Ryan T. Maῆoza “took turns in (punching them), hitting different parts of (their bodies) and, not contented, they took turns in striking (us) using a rattan stick and a baseball bat.”
According to Dr. Carlos Raymundo Alburo, medical officer IV at Justiniano R. Borja General Hospital, diagnosed Seronay to have suffered “4x3cm contusion-hematoma at bilateral posterior aspect of thigh area” and Ampong suffered “confluent contusion-hematoma at 3x2cm left thigh and 4x2cm right thigh areas.”
Both Seronay and Ampong sought medical treatment a day after the alleged mauling where Alburo estimated their recovery period to “one week barring complications.”
A veteran police officer who requested anonymity for safety reasons said in a separate interview that the mauling incident was not the first incident involving the NCOs of Camp Capistrano.
“Usually these NCOs hold drinking sprees inside the camp and when they get drunk they call in junior officers to make fun of them by beating them senseless,” the police source said.
When asked why it took them at least five months before coming out in the open with their complaints, Ampong replied they wanted to go through the “internal processes of PNP” first so as not to endanger their careers in the PNP.
“But it is becoming more and more apparent that we have just been given the run-around,” Ampong said Tuesday.
In a text message today, Chief Insp. Regina Abenales, PNP 10 spokesperson, said that “based on their pre-charge evaluation there is probable cause to charge SPO2 Osip, et al.”
“The case was already forwarded to the summary hearing officer but before the summary proceedings would push through the complainants need to submit a certificate of non-forum shopping,” Abenales said.
She added the certificate of non-forum shopping, which the complainants have not submitted yet, is mandatory requirement in administrative cases.
She also said PNP 10 regional director Chief Supt. Jufel Adriatico “has ordered the speedy resolution of the case.” But all calls to Adriatico to confirm the order were not returned.
In the meantime, Seronay and Ampong have filed last Oct. 3 a request for reassignment “in order not to expose ourselves again to be victimized of the serious maltreatment and manhandling by our senior NCOs, who are acting like hoodlums in uniform at the office of the RSPB 10.”
On their request, Abenales said they could not grant such request because both Seronay and Ampong have been on AWOL (absence without leave) status.
“It (cannot) be granted because they have been dropped from rolls for having incurred 30 days or more absence without official leave,” she said. (Cong B. Corrales / MindaNews)
