Three police officers assigned to Taguig Police Station were relieved from their posts and are facing investigation for mistreating a person with disability (PWD).
In a letter to Atty. Rowena Guanzon of the P3PWD Party List, Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano informed her that the Taguig Police relieved Senior Master Sgt. Rolando Francisco, Senior Master Sgt. Joseph More and Staff Sgt. Ronald Salamanca effective Sept. 8 after they were accused of mistreating PWD Elmer Ogalinola, a balloon vendor and Taguig resident.
They were reassigned to the Investigation Detection and Management Section for further investigation. Their service firearms were confiscated.
A show cause order was also issued to Maj. Judge Rowe Donato, substation commander, “for failure to supervise his personnel.”
The chief investigator was also ordered by the Taguig police “to immediately conduct an investigation and file administrative cases against the above-named personnel, if warranted,” according to Cayetano.
Prior to the relief of the cops, Ogalinola and his sisters sought the assistance of the program “Raffy Tulfo in Action” about the police mistreatment.
Reports said the police went to the house of Ogalinola without a search warrant or arrest warrant and asked him to come to the police precinct as a complainant had accused him of being a snatcher.
When the complainant did not show up at the precinct, Ogalinola was allowed to go home.
His sister said one police officer at the station said, “O kuba, buti buhay ka pa (Oh hunchback, you are still alive).”
“The City of Taguig assures that the rights and welfare of our Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) will be upheld and respected at all times. Discrimination in any form is not tolerated in our City as we have been one of the pioneers in creating an inclusive community through our policies, programs, and institutions that cater to our PWDs,” Cayetano told Guanzon.