MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police will investigate a report that Metro Manila police chief Debold Sinas and NCRPO cops harassed a retired cop’s family in their home in Taguig.
PNP Chief Archie Gamboa said authorities will probe cops from the National Capital Region Police Office, including its chief, Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas after CCTV footages posted by a man named Arles Delos Santos went viral on Facebook last Saturday. According to Inquirer.net, Gamboa said that there was an eviction order on the family of Arnel delos Santos, a former Police Executive Master Sergeant, who was residing in the compound.
“We will investigate how they carried out that order. Of course, alam naman natin na ang video would speak a thousand words, that’s why we will investigate what happened during that confrontation.”
PNP Chief Archie Gamboa
(We will investigate how they carried out this order but of course, we know that the view would speak a thousand words, that’s why we will investigate what happened during that confrontation.)
In an article by CNN Philippines, CCTV footage shows Sinas, who reportedly insisted that the property is government-owned and the family should not be staying there, personally confronted the residents in a loud voice. A man in a wheelchair was seen reasoning with the police officer, while another cop grabbed the cell phone of one of the residents when he was seen taking a video recording.
Arles Delos Santos, son of Arnel, said that they presented documents such as a land title and a special power of attorney from the land owner to prove that the house is private property and they had every right to live there, claiming that the document is signed by Sinas himself. When he tried to ask for the documents back, Delos Santos was threatened to be punched by one of the cops.
Gamboa said Sinas explained to him that his team went around the camp looking for possible quarantine sites due to the increasing number of COVID-19 infections among the PNP which has reached more than 1500 cases.
“This is a lot owned by the Philippine National Police and I’m sure marami nang notices [there have been many notices] that have been given to them to vacate.”
PNP CHIEF ARCHIE GAMBOA
PNP personnel are said to have benefits and can avail of free housing, however, they must vacate the premises within a month after leaving the service.
The Delos Santos family will be filing charges against Sinas and the other policemen for allegedly harassing and trying to evict them from their home.