The National Police Commission (Napolcom) has suspended for 90 days a total of 12 policemen,  including three officers, who are being linked to the case of missing cockfighters.

In four-page resolution signed by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and three Napolcom officials, the leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) was ordered to implement the order within five days after the receipt of the decision.

The Napolcom resolution was signed on Aug. 4.

“The Commission, after a careful and judicious evaluation of the records and the motion, finds that there exists substantial legal and factual basis to warrant the grant of the Motion for Preventive Suspension,” the order read.

“The gravity of the charges, the preliminary showing of strong evidence of guilt, and the necessity to safeguard the integrity and impartiality of the proceedings collectively justify the imposition of preventive suspension against the Respondents,” it added.

The decision stemmed from the testimony of Julie Patidongan who tagged the policemen as involved in the disappearance and killing of the missing sabungeros. 

Patidongan earlier said that the cadavers of some of the missing sabungeros were dumped into the Taal Lake in Batangas.

Several human bones were recovered from the Taal Lake earlier, unfortunately, police forensics experts were unable to extract DNA samples from them due some factors, that include the long time the bones were submerged into the lake.

The preliminary evidence and factual allegations that support the petition to suspend the 12 cops, according to the Napolcom point to a level of involvement that satisfies the threshold of "serious or grave" charges and "strong evidence of guilt.

The resolution referred to Section 1, Rule 16 of the Napolcom Memorandum Circular No. 2016-002 as the basis of the suspension order.

But it was quick to point out that the preventive suspension is not tantamount to a finding of culpability on the part of the policemen. 

“The imposition of preventive suspension is not a penalty, but a protective and procedural measure intended to preserve the integrity of the investigation, prevent any undue influence or interference in the proceedings, and assure the availability of evidence and witnesses,” the Napolcom resolution read.

“It serves to protect both public interest and the administrative process, while allowing the case to be resolved on its merits in a fair, impartial, and expeditious manner,” it added.

Those suspended include officials with a rank of Police Colonel, Police Lieutenant Colonel and Police Major. The nine other cops are mostly police sergeants.