THE police yesterday sought to downplay criticisms brought about by the death of a 20-year-old altar server due to leptospirosis he contracted while searching and visiting his father who was detained for playing kara y krus, which is considered illegal.
In a statement, the Caloocan City police station said the death of Dion Angelo Dela Rosa, or Gelo, last July 27 is not related to the arrest of his father, Jayson.
The death of Gelo, a third year human resource services student at the Malabon City College, was decried by Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David in a post on Facebook last Sunday.
David said Jayson, a father of six, failed to return to his home in Malabon City last July 22 which prompted Gelo and other members the family to search for him, braving floodwaters caused by tropical cyclones and the southwest monsoon.
The family learned on July 25 that Jayson was detained at the Caloocan City police after he was arrested for playing kara y krus. He was charged before a court, which set a bail of P30,000 which the family failed to post.
“So Gelo repeatedly visited his father to bring food and to work on the case. He waded daily through the dark floodwaters until he began to develop a fever on Saturday night (July 26),” said David.
David decried policemen continue to meet quotas on arrests “under an old anti-gambling law now being used to bully the poor, while rampant online gambling quietly destroys families.”
In its statement, the Caloocan City police said that based on “verified reports and timelines,” the “unfortunate death of the youth due to leptospirosis is not related to the arrest of the father.”
“The health-related incident occurred under different circumstances that have no causal connection to the police operation,” it said.
On the bail issue, it said this was entirely within the jurisdiction of the prosecutor’s office and the court, adding the PNP “has no authority or influence over such judicial decisions.”
On online games, the Caloocan police said this “falls under the regulation of specific government agencies.”
“The PNP’s mandate primarily covers peace and order, crime prevention, and law enforcement,” it said.
On the supposed delayed notification of the Dela Cruz family about the arrest, it said it is working to “uphold all procedures and respect the rights of every citizen.”
“If there were lapses committed by any member of our personnel, particularly in informing relatives during the arrest, we encourage the filing of a formal complaint,” it said.
“Any allegation of misconduct will be thoroughly investigated, and necessary disciplinary actions will be taken as appropriate,” it added, as it reiterated its commitment to “upholding the law and will continue to apprehend violators as the law may require.”
“We call on the public to remain discerning and responsible in sharing information online to avoid misinformation and unnecessary public alarm,” it also said.
The Caloocan City police extended its condolences to the family for the death of Dela Cruz even as it assured the public of its “continued dedication to serving the people of Caloocan City with integrity and professionalism.”
