13 Metro Manila cops cleared of kidnap raps

MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) has cleared 13 former anti-drug police officers of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) over the abduction of four alleged drug suspects in Cavite province in 2021.

Lt. Col. Ryan Jay Orapa, Lt. Jesus Menes, Staff Sergeants Roy Pioquinto, Robert Allan Raz Jr., Denar Roda and Alfredo Andes, and Corporals Alric Natividad, Ronald John Lanara, Reynaldo Seno Jr., Troy Paragas, Ronald Montibon, Ruscel Soloman and Christal Rhine Rosita were cleared of kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges, the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) shared on Friday.

The 13 officers were accused of causing the enforced disappearance of four drug suspects on April 13, 2021, under the guise of a buy-bust.

Orapa was former chief of the NCRPO's Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) in 2022.

Also cleared of charges were three civilians who were alleged assets of the police officers.

All police officers were reinstated at the PDEG, except for Paragas who was dismissed from the service for an unrelated case.

The cases were filed by the National Bureau of Investigation-Task Force Against Illegal Drugs (TFAID) against the officers.

In dismissing the charges, Assistant State Prosecutor Honey Rose Delgado stated in the DOJ resolution that the security footage at a Tagaytay City coffee shop, which the NBI-TFAID presented as proof, was "not sufficiently and convincingly identified by persons who are capable of doing so."

The resolution added that a careful review of the footage also revealed that none of the accused were vividly seen, thus making their identifications "difficult, if not impossible."

The DOJ also dismissed the perjury charges filed against the 12, due to insufficient proof that the respondents perjured themselves in a related Senate investigation regarding the matter.

Following the DOJ's dismissal of the charges, the dismissal of administrative cases against the respondents were previously ordered, along with 21 other RDEU-NCRPO officers for lack of substantial evidence. (PNA)