A detained police officer facing criminal and administrative charges for his alleged involvement in the illegal drugs trade could yet be in further trouble for allegedly masterminding the mauling of two detainees inside the lock-up facility of the Philippine National Police station in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental.

 PO2 Victorio Rizaldo, along with Jazeez Lible, Benuel Cadungog and Florante Taburada, all detained at the Bayawan PNP station, allegedly beat two other detainees up on Tuesday morning inside the holding cell that they all shared for no apparent reason.

Chief Insp. Errol Garchitorena, Bayawan police station commander, said Rizaldo had apparently “used his influence as a policeman” in beating up Marvin Bambo, who had surrendered to the police in relation to a theft case, and Nelson Dolar, who was arrested for alleged illegal possession of a firearm.

Tuesday’s incident has prompted the Bayawan police station to put up a dividing wall and a separate gate in the small lock-up facility to separate Rizaldo, Lible, Cadungog and Taburada from the other detainees to prevent a repeat of the mauling, Garchitorena said.

Provincial police director, Sr. Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, is urging the mauling victims or their families to file formal charges against Rizaldo and the other suspects as the police cannot file the same without a complainant or complainants.

Both victims were also provided legal assistance through the Public Attorney’s Office, and were also subjected to medical examination to substantiate their complaint against the suspects, Lawas added.

One of the victims had already posted bail for his temporary release while the other one was scheduled for commission to the Bayawan City jail, Garchitorena said yesterday.

Reports are rife that the victims and their families are reluctant to file a complaint against Rizaldo, fearing possible repercussions because of his alleged connections to “powerful and influential” people, because of his purportedly notorious involvement in the illegal drugs trade.

Lawas said no one is above the law, and for Rizaldo to be further charged accordingly, on top of the other criminal and administrative charges that he is already facing, there must be a formal complainant or complainants on the mauling incident.

Rizaldo, a police auxiliary member of the Bayawan police station, and a civilian, were arrested and criminally charged a few weeks ago in an anti-illegal drugs operation that yielded a cache of firearms used by the three suspects, and the confiscation of several packets of suspected shabu.

Rizaldo also tested positive of methamphetamine hydrochloride, the primary substance in shabu, during a surprise drug test conducted on him soon after his arrest.*JFP 

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