PRO-6 chief Police Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño (right) inspects the Iloilo City Police Office-Molo Police Station in Iloilo City. (PNP/PRO-6)
ILOILO CITY – A probe is underway after a Philippine National Police-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group search for a fugitive ex-police officer turned out to be a chaotic raid of a police station in this city on Wednesday, July 1.
PNP-IMEG operatives allegedly disarmed police officers and traumatized civilians and held a barangay captain and a member of the media at gunpoint during the raid at the Molo Police Station of the Iloilo City Police Office.
The barangay official and media man were at the police station as witnesses of a buy-bust operation conducted Wednesday.
People were told to lie on the ground until the search was over for the suspect who was not there.
The Police Regional Office-6 and the National Police Commission (Napolcom) are determining if lapses were committed during the raid.
PRO-6 chief Police Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño, who said the operations was legitimate, urged people to wait for the results of the investigation.
ICPO-Molo Police Station commander Police Capt. Ryan Inot said they were all caught by surprise by the raid which was held without coordination.
PRO-6 is looking at the incident as lesson learned and should assess existing policies in conducting police operations as well as inter-unit coordination.