Arrest of barangay captain questioned
POLICEMEN who responded to an incident in Barangay Bonuan Gueset involving the barangay chairman on Sunday are now in hot water.
Lawyer Carlos Taminaya, a retired prosecutor, denounced members of the Dagupan police for “foolishness” when they arrested Barangay Captain Angel Gumarang and one Robert “Kennedy” Gascon without a warrant duly issued by a court of law.
Taminaya’s reaction stemmed from a complaint filed by Adonis Navarro against Gumarang and Gascon for trespassing, physical injuries and grave threats.
Navarro, younger brother of broadcaster Orly Navarro, accused Gumarang of threatening and cussing him while Gascon allegedly hit his face with a hand gun.
Gumarang and Gascon have denied the allegations.
A team of policemen was dispatched by Supt. Mariano Luis Verzosa, chief of police, to respond to the incident.
A report said the team went to the Barangay Hall where they saw Gumarang and Gascon, whom they advised to go with them to the PNP Headquarters to shed light about Navarro’s complaint.
Assured that they were merely invited for questioning, Gumarang and Gascon went with the arresting officers only to be detained without being served warrants of arrest.
Second Assistant City Prosecutor Trinidad Abad Ferrer last Monday ordered the release without bail of the respondents and ruled that a preliminary investigation be conducted.
In her resolution, Abad-Ferrer stated that while the rules recognize and allow the arrest without warrants of arrest under Section 5, Rule 113 of the Revised Criminal Procedure, it appears that “whatever knowledge possessed by the arresting officers, it came entirely from the information given to them”.
Commenting on the resolution, Taminaya, who also served as chief of the Public Attorney’s Office here, said that clearly the “arresting officers exposed their ignorance of the law”.
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