THE whistleblower in the missing “sabungeros” (cockfighting enthusiasts) case yesterday filed an administrative complaint before the National Police Commission (Napolcom) against a police general for the alleged irregular arrest of his brothers in relation to the ongoing government investigation.
The complaint for misconduct, dishonesty, and conduct unbecoming of a police officer against Brig. Gen. Romeo Macapaz was filed by Julie “Totoy” Patidongan and his brother Elakim.
Macapaz is currently the director of the Soccsksargen police regional police office. He previously served as director of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) prior to his regional appointment.
Aside from Macapaz, the Patidongan brothers also charged Lt. Col. Rossel Encarnacion and lawyer Jairus Vincent Concina.
“We are here to file a complaint against General Macapaz for what he did to my brothers. This is in relation to the fetching of my brothers as additional witness,” Julie Patidongan said, referring to his brothers Elakim and Jose.
He said he wants Macapaz dismissed from service.
The PNP earlier said Elakim and Jose were arrested last month by CIDG operatives at an undisclosed Southeast Asian country. They were brought back to the Philippines last July 12.
Police said Elakim was arrested for illegally using an alias, noting that he used a passport bearing the name “Robert Baylon” in traveling to the Asian country.
Jose, on the other hand, has a standing arrest warrant after he was found guilty for robbery.
The three Patidongan brothers are being considered as government witnesses in the case of the missing sabungeros.
Julie has told investigators that the sabungeros, which he claim number to about 100, have been killed and their bodies dumped in Taal Lake.
Elakim and Jose are vital to the case, particularly in the disappearance of two of the missing sabungeros – Michael Bautista and Melbert John Santos.
Police said Jose was seen in a closed-circuit television footage escorting Bautista, who was in handcuffs, while Elakim supposedly withdrew money from an ATM machine in Batangas using the card of Santos.
Elakim said CIDG operatives purportedly seized his and Jose’s mobile phones when they were supposed to be fetched only.
“When they (phones) were returned, the SIM cards and memory cards were already missing. There are many important evidence there,” he said, adding that he and Jose trusted the CIDG personnel when they reached out to them to become witnesses.
“But everything changed when they arrived. They arrested us,” he said.
Julie has earlier filed administrative complaints against 12 police officers for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping and killing of the sabungeros.
The Napolcom has suspended the police officers for 90 days pending the resolution of the complaints. The police are currently under police custody.
