Editorial

Something is definitely wrong somewhere with our law enforcement system. An incident at the Provincial Prosecutor's Office last Feb. 22 is a case in point.

Two policemen assigned with the Police Security Protection Office (PSPO) tried to serve a warrant of arrest on a convicted felon while the latter was about to give his testimony. There is nothing wrong with that.

The problem is that the two PSPO cops, normally assigned to secure VIPS, was trying to arrest a witness in the rape slay case where one of the suspects is a brother of the civilian they were working for as a bodyguard.

Now, there is something very fishy about that.

Police sources said it is not normal to assign police security to civilians. But here they were, assigned to former Panglao Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan. What makes Dumaluan that special for him to deserve police security? You tell us.

What makes it even more fishy is that the policemen, whose detail is already highly questionable, were suddenly determined to serve a warrant without informing the Bohol Provincial Police Office and the Tagbilaran City Police Office.

If they wanted to go by the rules, these cops could have at least informed the two police offices about the warrant that they intend to serve. Obviously though, going by the rules is the last thing on the mind of these policemen.

They went to the Hall of Justice on the day they expected the witness to appeared and waited for the right moment. They did not deposit their firearms at the guard, as anybody who has respect for the courts routinely do, and did not advise the provincial prosecutor what they intend to do in his hallowed office.

By all accounts, the policemen did not even have the decency to wear the proper uniform and did not give the highest police officer in the province the courtesy of a salute when they met face to face.

Senior Supt. Edgardo Ingking definitely hit the nail on the head when he remarked that these self-styled warrant servers "tried to bully everybody".

It no longer comes as a surprise that Dumaluan, notwithstanding his being a former public official, would have little respect for government institutions with the well-orchestrated show of force obviously intended to foil the testimony of the witness against his kid brother in the rape-murder case.

But Cebu-based policemen paid for by government funds doing his bidding in attempting to obstruct the administration of justice? How shameless can they be!
We know that policemen are supposed to be protectors. We just did not know they would brazenly protect the interest of a rape-murder suspect.

Something is definitely wrong somewhere with our law enforcement system. An incident at the Provincial Prosecutor's Office last Feb. 22 is a case in point.

Two policemen assigned with the Police Security Protection Office (PSPO) tried to serve a warrant of arrest on a convicted felon while the latter was about to give his testimony. There is nothing wrong with that.

The problem is that the two PSPO cops, normally assigned to secure VIPS, was trying to arrest a witness in the rape slay case where one of the suspects is a brother of the civilian they were working for as a bodyguard.

Now, there is something very fishy about that.

Police sources said it is not normal to assign police security to civilians. But here they were, assigned to former Panglao Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan. What makes Dumaluan that special for him to deserve police security? You tell us.

What makes it even more fishy is that the policemen, whose detail is already highly questionable, were suddenly determined to serve a warrant without informing the Bohol Provincial Police Office and the Tagbilaran City Police Office.

If they wanted to go by the rules, these cops could have at least informed the two police offices about the warrant that they intend to serve. Obviously though, going by the rules is the last thing on the mind of these policemen.

They went to the Hall of Justice on the day they expected the witness to appeared and waited for the right moment. They did not deposit their firearms at the guard, as anybody who has respect for the courts routinely do, and did not advise the provincial prosecutor what they intend to do in his hallowed office.

By all accounts, the policemen did not even have the decency to wear the proper uniform and did not give the highest police officer in the province the courtesy of a salute when they met face to face.

Senior Supt. Edgardo Ingking definitely hit the nail on the head when he remarked that these self-styled warrant servers "tried to bully everybody".

It no longer comes as a surprise that Dumaluan, notwithstanding his being a former public official, would have little respect for government institutions with the well-orchestrated show of force obviously intended to foil the testimony of the witness against his kid brother in the rape-murder case.

But Cebu-based policemen paid for by government funds doing his bidding in attempting to obstruct the administration of justice? How shameless can they be!
We know that policemen are supposed to be protectors. We just did not know they would brazenly protect the interest of a rape-murder suspect.

omething is definitely wrong somewhere with our law enforcement system. An incident at the Provincial Prosecutor's Office last Feb. 22 is a case in point.

Two policemen assigned with the Police Security Protection Office (PSPO) tried to serve a warrant of arrest on a convicted felon while the latter was about to give his testimony. There is nothing wrong with that.

The problem is that the two PSPO cops, normally assigned to secure VIPS, was trying to arrest a witness in the rape slay case where one of the suspects is a brother of the civilian they were working for as a bodyguard.

Now, there is something very fishy about that.

Police sources said it is not normal to assign police security to civilians. But here they were, assigned to former Panglao Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan. What makes Dumaluan that special for him to deserve police security? You tell us.

What makes it even more fishy is that the policemen, whose detail is already highly questionable, were suddenly determined to serve a warrant without informing the Bohol Provincial Police Office and the Tagbilaran City Police Office.

If they wanted to go by the rules, these cops could have at least informed the two police offices about the warrant that they intend to serve. Obviously though, going by the rules is the last thing on the mind of these policemen.

They went to the Hall of Justice on the day they expected the witness to appeared and waited for the right moment. They did not deposit their firearms at the guard, as anybody who has respect for the courts routinely do, and did not advise the provincial prosecutor what they intend to do in his hallowed office.

By all accounts, the policemen did not even have the decency to wear the proper uniform and did not give the highest police officer in the province the courtesy of a salute when they met face to face.

Senior Supt. Edgardo Ingking definitely hit the nail on the head when he remarked that these self-styled warrant servers "tried to bully everybody".

It no longer comes as a surprise that Dumaluan, notwithstanding his being a former public official, would have little respect for government institutions with the well-orchestrated show of force obviously intended to foil the testimony of the witness against his kid brother in the rape-murder case.

But Cebu-based policemen paid for by government funds doing his bidding in attempting to obstruct the administration of justice? How shameless can they be!
We know that policemen are supposed to be protectors. We just did not know they would brazenly protect the interest of a rape-murder suspect.