Senior Supt. Mariano Natuel Jr., OIC provincial director of the Philippine National Police in Negros Oriental, said police operatives may wear civilian clothes while serving an arrest warrant and that this is a normal and acceptable practice.

Natuel’s explanation came after an amateur video clip that went viral on social media Tuesday showing people armed with short and long firearms and in civvies running after a man they later caught and apparently arrested.

The video stated several comments were posted on Facebook raising questions about the men in civilian clothes and why they were carrying high-powered firearms.

 The video, that runs for 2:08 minutes and apparently recorded by a mobile phone from a passenger bus in Ajong, Sibulan town, showed at least seven armed with their subject.

Police authorities confirmed later that the action recorded was a legitimate operation of PNP’s Highway Patrol Team member executing warrants of arrest against the subject, Ricardo Ebasan Jr.

Ebasan is believed to be the leader of the Ebasan-Dinglasa “Akyat Bahay” robbery/carnap gang operating in Negros Oriental.

He allegedly managed to flee from the HPT operatives serving the warrants at around noon Tuesday, and the chase ensued, Insp. Robelito Mariano, chief of the PNP’s HPT in the province, said.

Natuel said the HPT had informed him of the operation, that he also said, was coordinated with the Sibulan police station.

Ebasan, who was hit in the leg during the police chase, was charged with illegal possession of a firearm after operatives recovered from him a 9-mm pistol, and with robbery for allegedly having an allegedly stolen motorcycle at the time of his arrest.

Mariano said his men were serving Ebasan two warrants of arrest for robbery and a third one for frustrated homicide.*JFP

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