CEBU CITY – Five police officers here are facing criminal charges after they allegedly abducted and tortured a woman whom they suspected of being involved in illegal drug activities. The National Bureau Investigation-Central Visayas (NBI-7) filed the charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against Police Corporals Johnrober Ortega Rebusa, Jeffrey Patoc Alabata, and Keven Zosa Gilbuena and Police Staff Sergeants Donald Aboy Balansag and Joy Marie Alad-ad. The five police officers were assigned to the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Mambaling Police Station before they were relieved because of the accusations hurled against them. Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) chief Police Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, said the five police officers were relieved from their posts after the charges were filed against them on May 9. An alleged civilian cohort of the five police officers was also charged for allegedly raping the complainant. A still-unidentified person was also included in the charge sheet. The 18-year-old complainant sought the help of NBI-7 after the alleged abuse happened shortly before midnight on Sept. 19. In her sworn statement, the woman said she and her three friends were in the house of another friend in Barangay Basak-San Nicolas here when a group of persons suddenly barged in while shouting “Mao ni! Mao ni! Hamag ni! (This is it, this is it! This is an arrest!).” The woman said her friends ran toward the back exit of the house but was chased by the intruders. The woman said she heard a gunshot and out of fear, she just stayed put. She said the group of men frisked her on suspicion that she was possessing illegal drugs. The woman added that when the intruders failed to find any illegal drugs, she was told to wear a jacket and to cover her face with a shirt before she was brought to a two-story apartment. At the apartment, the woman was forced to reveal the names of the persons who were selling illegal drugs in the area. While forcing her to admit, the woman was repeatedly struck with a broom stick in the palms while another person hit her knees with a dustpan. Out of fear, the woman was forced to mention the name “Baloning” as a drug pusher in the area. The woman said she actually didn’t know a person named Baloning. The woman said she was brought by her captors back to Basak-San Nicolas to identify the house of Baloning. The woman randomly pointed to a but when they barged inside, they only saw a child who was about to be brought to a hospital by her parents. The woman was then brought back to the apartment. The woman said her captors then instructed a certain “Luis” to bring her to a room on the second floor of the apartment. It was Luis who brought food and water to the woman while she was in captivity. The woman said Luis forced her to take illegal drugs and when she resisted, she was warned that her captors were “hitmen.” The woman further disclosed that around 5 a.m. on Sept. 22, Luis broke into her room and raped her. It was around 4 p.m. on Sept. 22 that she was freed by her captors. The victim said there were about 15 to 20 persons who broke into the house and she had the impression that they were policemen because they were carrying firearms. While in captivity, the woman said she was able to talk to Alad-ad, whom she knew as a policewoman and a friend of her aunt. The victim alleged that Alad-ad ignored her plea to help her escape from her captors. Follow-up investigation conducted by the NBI-7 showed that the supposed anti-illegal operation was not coordinated with the chief of the Mambaling Police Station and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas. Pelare said the PRO-7 will not hesitate to penalize the police officers involved if the allegations against them are proven true. “What we will do is the administrative aspect because the criminal aspect of that particular incident was discussed by NBI-7. We commit to support by giving them information, by being transparent and making sure that an investigation which is impartial will be conducted regardless of who is involved,” said Pelare. Pelare emphasized that it was never the policy of the police organization to torture or kidnap. “We assure our counterparts from NBI and Ombudsman that we will be very transparent in PRO-7. Again, I would like to emphasize that our regional director will never condone this kind of misdeed if proven true after the conduct of investigation and of course, according the concerned personnel with due process,” Pelare said.