This one’s for you, Chief PNP Cascolan

IS there hope still for our PNP?

I am forced to raise this question—for the nth time—in reference to the raid—although “assault” would have been more appropriate—conducted by the Bulacan PNP at the house of media colleague and NPC lifetime member, Orlan Mauricio, in Malolos City last September 23, 2020.

Let me first stress that as a matter of courtesy and respect for our law enforcers, yours truly is always inclined to believe the “official version” by the police in any incident.

But given too that yours truly has covered the police beat for some two decades and the results of official investigations on police corruptions and shenanigans cautioned all of us to be always wary of whatever the police is saying, the Bulacan PNP’s official version of events mouthed by no less than provincial director, Col. Lawrence Cajipe, is truly hard to believe.

Like his colleagues wise in the art of lying, PD Cajipe’s press statement is what it is: a complete lie.

For one, Cajipe—who had been twice involved in the killings of civilians in 2009—claimed the serving of the warrant at the house of Mauricio last September 23 took place at around 7:30pm.

Well, the CCTV of the incident showed that the assault at the house of Mauricio took place in daylight, not in the evening as claimed by Cajipe; the raiding team were not also in police uniform—none of them. But still, Cajipe, said the serving of the warrant was done in an “orderly manner.”

Second, lawyers I talked too said it was the “first time” they heard that a municipal court had issued a search warrant for illegal possession of firearms; in all instances they said, an SW is issued by the RTC.

Why the Honorable Judge Nemesio Manlangit of the Bulacan MTC acceded to get involved in a police raid that resulted to not one of the 3 “firearms” specified in the request for an SW being found by the police, is beyond us. But why the raid turned “negative,” is a matter that he should clarify with Cajipe as he was made to look dumb, if not an “instrument” to harass Mauricio, a staunch critic of Bulacan governor, Daniel Fernando.

Was the good judge not informed—or was he deliberately “blinded” by the Bulacan PNP—that the subject of the search, Oliver Paul, Mauricio’s son, is not even a resident of the house the police wanted to raid in the first place?

Third, the police are “at it” again on this raid, dear readers.

I mean, having found no gun, nay, even a spent cartridge at the house of Mauricio, they then resorted to the thing that made some police raids truly scary—they “planted” evidence—drug paraphernalia– implying that Mauricio is hook on illegal drugs

Heck, was that the subject of the raid? Illegal drugs? But heck, was it not for “illegal possession of firearms?”

And so, is this now how Cajipe and his henchmen would try to reason their way out of questioning?

That yes, they failed in their main purpose of finding illegal firearms but hey, they “found” paraphernalia for the use of illegal drugs. What kind of reasoning is that?

Chief PNP Camilo Cascolan, for the little time he has left in service, should look into this incident and if he is minded, immediately order the relief of Cajipe and the over 20 policemen who participated in this raid.

It is over such incident that the people lose their faith in government and the rule of law. If bent cops can muscle their way inside the house of a member of the press waving a questionable warrant and then start planting evidence all over the place, woe to the ordinary folks.

And yes, Chief PNP Cascolan. It was not just a raid.

They looted the place too. That’s not only thuggery. Its other name is robbery.