'Private detective' indicted over gun raps, charges vs 3 Guimaras cops dropped
Guimaras -- A 'Private Detective' cum agent of a detective and security agency was indicted for violation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Gun Ban in an incident that rocked this province a month before the May elections.
Contained in an Amended Consolidated Resolution of five complaints, Provincial Prosecutor Luzermindo Calmorin found merit on the case against Rommel Sanchez alias Ramil Sanchez.
Such, as criminal charges correspondingly filed against Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Noel Deslate, Police Officer 2 (PO2) Jun Gonzales and PO2 Bobby Habana were dismissed for insufficient evidence.
The respondent cops were charged by Sanchez with serious criminal offenses of robbery in band, grave threats and grave coercion.
The complaints stemmed from the April 22 incident, some three weeks prior to the hotly-contested elections. Sanchez in his complaint charged that the trio forcibly took his service firearm with threats to kill him.
The cops on the other hand said they were there in response to a call for help by a local bar owner amidst presence and commotion caused by an armed man. Sanchez was dis-armed however managed to seek refuge in the headquarters of a gubernatorial candidate.
The police filed complaints of violation of Republic Act 8294 otherwise known as Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunitions against Sanchez. When subponead for counter-affidavit, charges against the three cops were instead filed and submitted before the provincial prosecutor.
"After thorough analysis of the evidence adduced by the parties, the undersigned (Provincial Prosecutor) believes the version of respondent-policemen holds water. It is highly unbelievable that respondents as police officers and in complete uniform would take the handgun of Rommel Sanchez at gun point for the purpose of personal motive and with intent to gain," excerpts of the Resolution went. "On the other hand, the version of Rommel Sanchez that he was threatened, coerced and robbed of his .45 caliber pistol with magazine and ammo by SPO1 Deslate et al is difficult to believe."
The prosecutor also maintained that "there is no robbery to speak of when the policemen led by SPO1 Noel Deslate et al when they took the subject firearm from Rommel Sanchez. They did it in obedience to their duties as law enforcers."