Basak police charged for grave misconduct

Two men filed a complaint for grave misconduct before the Office of the Ombudsman for the Visayas against the members of the barangay Basak police in Mandaue City.

Dante Librea and Jesus Ebarra asked the Ombudsman to investigate Senior Insp. Rex Binaro Lumente, Basak police chief, and his men, who arrested them after they were accused of instigating trouble during a picket outside a furniture company in barangay Pagsabungan, Mandaue City on July 17.

Except for Lumente, the other members of the Basak police were not identified in the complaint.

The complainants said the respondents should be held liable for implementing a warrantless arrest against them.

Librea said he went to Chagrin Inc. in barangay Pagsabungan on July 17 on board a habal-habal motorcycle driven by Ebarra.

Librea was supposed to apply for a job in the furniture company.

When Librea and Ebarra arrived, they saw a group of people holding a picket outside the furniture factory.

Librea said policemen and police cars were near the gate of Chagrin.

Librea said he and Ebarra were about 50 meters from the picket line when he received a phone call from a person who convinced him to apply.

Librea said that while he was on the phone, gunshot rang out, causing a commotion.

Librea said three men identified as Jorge Ente, Rommel Uy, and Arnold Arcipe, who were part of the strikers, surrounded them.

The complainant said Ente, Uy, and Arcipe, former workers of another furniture firm R and Y Augousti, accused them of causing the trouble.

The three were affiliated with the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP).

The strikers accosted them and turned them over to the police.

Librea and Ebarra said police told them that they were arrested for “conspiracy in committing grave threats, illegal discharge of firerams, and physical injuries.”

The complainant said they were detained for more than 60 hours before they were released.

Aside from the policemen, the complainants also included as among the respondents Arcipe, Ente, and Uy. –Ador Vincent Mayol, Cebu Daily News