JJ Domingo, a 20-year old student of international relations, relates in his Facebook wall the harrowing experience of his mother in the hands of people who introduced themselves as members of the Quezon City police.
JJ , who is now in Japan with his mother, said he has emailed this narration to the Philippine National Police and to the Napolcom. So far, he has not received any response.
He is also sending it to the Commission on Human Rights.
Here his story about what he said was the “arbitrary detention and extortion” of his mother by men who are supposed to protect her from lawless elements:
“When my mother went to the Philippines to attend the graduation ceremony of my sister and to seek the opinion of Filipino doctors on her mild cancer two weeks ago, she had no idea she was in for the shock of her life.
“Last April 14, my mother went to visit a friend named Janet who lives in a slum area in Tandang Sora, Quezon City. That friend owes my mother some thousands, which my mother decided to collect because she needs money for her medication. My mother was accompanied by an old friend, Maximo Gabriel.
“At around twelve noon, just when my mother and Gabriel were about to leave Janet’s place, two plain-clothed policemen- one called Allan and another named Mar Palic- approached them, accusing them of drug possession. My mother and her friends aghastly denied this, and before the two cops could search them they showed their bags to the police officers and emptied their pockets to show that there was nothing incriminating inside. Still, the cops “invited” them for questioning.
“’Sumama kayo sa amin (Come with us),’ said the cops.
“’Bakit po kami sasama sa inyo, wala naman po kaming ginagawa (Why should we? We’re not doing anything wrong),’ answered my mom.
“’Kung wala kayong ginagawang masama eh bakit kayo matatakot na sumama sa amin (If you’re not doing anything wrong, why don’t you come with us?)’
“And so they decided to go with the cops, thinking that they would only be invited for random questioning and be released immediately. But to their surprise, the officers took their cellphones and did not allow them to make calls. And instead of being taken straight to the police station, they were driven around for at least three hours while the policemen intimidated them and forced them to make a confession!
“At around three in the afternoon, they were finally taken to the cafeteria in the third floor of Police Station Number 3 along Quirino Highway in Barangay Talipapa, Novaliches, Quezon City. There my mother was subjected to the worst kinds of insults.
“’Bakit naman dadayo pa kayo dito eh andaming mabibiling shabu sa Fairview (Why come here when you can buy drugs in your place?)’
“’Siguro labas-pasok ka na sa kulungan no? Tignan mo nga itsura mo, parang isang
“’Ilang linggo ka na bang nagda-darna? (How many weeks have you been doing a Darna?)’
“For about an hour, the cops forced them to make a confession but they stubbornly refused. Finally, the cops said they would be subjected to drug tests if they don’t confess. Although my mother is aware that random drug testing is against the law, she and her friends immediately agreed, thinking that this would be the best way out.
“’Pag po ba negative sa tests pwede na po ba kaming umuwi? (Can we go home if we get negative results in the drug tests?)’ asked my mom.
“’Oo. Pero sa itsura nyong yan malamang positive (Yes, but, looking at you now, I’m sure you’ll get positive results),’answered the cop as he laughed obnoxiously at my mother’s expense.
“They were then told that they would be taken to the police laboratory for the tests. But instead they were driven back to the slum area in Tandang Sora because the cops claimed they needed to talk to their informer. There the two cops alighted and went inside the compound while my mother, her friends, and the errand boy of the police station remained in the car. At that point, the said errand boy told them that they needed only to pay twenty thousand pesos each and they will be released. This is a clear case of soliciting bribes, and my mom and her friends refused.
“And so instead of being taken to the laboratory for the drug tests, they were taken back to the police station in Talipapa. At this point, my mom and her friends were understandably very mad. She demanded that they go and get the tests already so they can all go home. When the cops were pissed off with their legitimate complaints, they were detained behind bars!
“What’s more, when they were asked to list down their belongings that they were supposed to surrender before being detained, police officer Mar Palic refused to list down my mother’s cellphone; he took it! If it’s any consolation, my mother was allowed to make one phone call which she used to ask my uncle to come to her rescue.
“You can only imagine the trauma and emotions this brought to my mom. She demanded that she be informed of the reasons why she was being detained. Her friends, on the other hand, begged the cops to let her go, since she’d be in the Philippines only for two weeks and she wanted to spend as much time as possible with her kids. When the cops heard this, they only insulted her and laughed at her expense.
“The desk officer then came to my mom and asked her to just make “areglo” (settle the matter) with the cops. But the cops were asking for twenty fucking thousand pesos! My mom asked if she can pay just three thousand since that’s all she had, but the cops refused.
“When my uncle came, the police told him that they caught my mother in the act of using drugs– a big, fat lie!
“At this point, my mom was determined to call the family lawyer, but my uncle told him that if the lawyer came, the cops who signed her arrest order would surely disappear and so she would still end up staying in jail for the whole night. Also, my mother’s friend Janet still has kids left in her home to attend to. So reluctantly, they decided to make “areglo.”
“After some negotiations, the cost of the ‘areglo’ was lowered from twenty thousand to fifteen thousand pesos and my mother’s cellphone.
“When my mom got home, she cried like a baby. Here she was, a single mother and an OFW who has never broken any law, being treated like a criminal. Here she was, a simple citizen who cooperated with the police when they invited her for questioning completely trusting that these officers of the law would respect her most basic rights, being insulted and humiliated.
“It doesn’t take a lawyer to see the violations and abuses made by these policemen. They certainly violated my mother’s Miranda rights when they refused to let her use her cellphone to immediately make calls. They committed arbitrary detention, and I believe that’s felony.
They committed extortion, and that should put them behind bars for a few years.
“It appears that this is a common modus operandi of Philippine policemen in many slum areas that are suspected of having drug activity. They intimidate people who they think they can milk with bribe money. The sad thing is, while innocent people like my mom are subjected to this kind of inhuamne treatment; the guilty ones easily get away with violating the law by bribing these policemen.
“I’m proud that my mother and her friends took the effort to resist these cops’ extortion, but I’m a little bit disappointed that they had to cave in in the end. But what could they do? My mom was scheduled to be in the Philippines for only two weeks and she wanted to spend every day of those two weeks with her kids and not in jail.
“My mom just got home from the Philippines a while ago, and she told me all about this just now. She was crying. She needed that money the cops took for her medication. And my blood is fucking boiling. I don’t intend to to take this sitting down. But to be honest, I don’t know what to do.
“Right now, all I have in mind is to write the chief of the National Police Commission and to encourage my uncle in the Philippines to file a case for the dismissal of ”Allan” and Mar Palic and of the chief of Police Station Number 3 in Barangay Talipapa, Novaliches, Quezon City first thing in the morning. I want all of these officers dismissed and I want my mother’s hard earned fifteen thousand pesos and her cellphone returned. I’m going to ask all my friends for all the help they could give me. If I need to go to Manila to get the heads of these cops on a silver platter, I’ll take the next flight.
“I hope everyone who reads this will pass it on and spread the news.”
Pasabugin ang bungo ng mga ganyang mga demonyong pulis!
Sana ay ilathala sa lahat ng diaryo at basahin sa radio/tv ang katarantaduhah ni “Allan” at Mar Palic.
May pangalan ang mga pulis, ipadala kay Gen. Verzosa, let’s see kung aaksyon ang Police leadership sa mga ganitong horibleng karanasan ng ordinaryong pinoy sa kamay ng mga pulis na dapat ay syang protektor nila.
I gave JJ Domingo’s article to PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina during the taping of Strictly Politics tonight.
He said he will look into it.
(The second Strictly Politics election special “On Our Side” has PNP Chief Jesus Versoza as guest. It will be aired tomorrow, Friday 7 pm.
(The first was AFP Chief Delfin Bangit last Tuesday.)
Matagal na kanser na ito. Gustong kumita ang mga pulis patola dahil may ibang lifestyle na hindi kaya ang kanilang sahod. Hulidap o kotong ang kanilang raket. Malamang may patong ang kanilang hepe, kaya business as usual.
Along that area also, my nephew driving a karag-karag was stopped by a barefoot pulis, nakikipag-inuman sa kanto at nagkataon na nakita na dumadaan ang pamangkin ko who did not stop seing that the pulis was without shoes. Tinanggal siguro para masarap ang inuman.
Habol takbo yung pulis pero pinakain sya ng usok ng kotse, hindi nakahabol ibinato na lang daw ang batuta. Pulis talaga dahil naka-uniform at may badge wala nga lang sapatos. lol. Nadadaanan daw ng pamangkin ko ang pulis na yun madalas na nakikipag-inuman at nanghahala ng mga tao.
Thanks, Ellen. I’m interested to know if PNP will act on this matter.
Fantastic news! Thanks, Ellen!!!
Have heard a lot about these type of incidents called “hulidap”. There was a time that the Scout area in Quezon City had several incidents of “hulidap”. Their victims usually are students, teens, who just came out of clubs and about to ride on their cars. The kotong cops would then ask them to open their trunks or glove compartments for inspection kuno and they would then “plant” drugs (as evidence) in it. It always end up with “areglo”.
yan lang naman kaya ng mga gagong pulis na mga yan, yung walang baril. kung di ba naman makakapal mukha nyan,taong bayan nagpapalamon sa inyo hoy! pasumpa sumpa pa kayo, to serve and to protect. sumbong kay bitag yan! tignan mo kung makapag pakita pa yan. wag na ke verzosa at napolcom,palakasan pa rin yan! hirap sa inyong mga pulis kayo,alam nyo naman maliit lang sweldo nyo pero para lumaki kita nyo mangongotong kayo. ang kakapal nyo!!!
The police has a slogan that says, “to serve and protect”.
To serve and protect who ? The rich and the powerful, perhaps ??
Kung ang mismong mga pulis ang ta-tarantado sa atin, kanino tayo tatakbo ? It has come to a point that one cannot distinguish anymore who the crooks are from the police. Except for the uniforms and the legal display of sidearms, the crook and the police have the same shit of a face.
Pasintabi na po doon sa mga pulis na totoong gumaganap ng kanilang itinakdang tungkulin. HIndi kayo kasali sa mga tuligsa na ito. Pati tuloy kayo ay nadadamay sa katarantaduhan ng marami sa inyo. Thanks to Gloria and the whole rotten and corrupt system that she had nurtured a million-fold.
This is so sad to know. Please keep us posted. I want to know the ending of this.
That’s why we need a Lacson, not a Spineless Neurotic nor a Jueteng Lord.
lacson ba kamo? eh yan ang number one mangongotong. ano ba ang nagawa ni lacson noon sa ganitong modus-operandi? matagal na yan. pinoy nga naman oo….
talamak na ito sa pinas. it’s a vicious circle. natuto ang mga pulis sa ganitong bisyo dahil sa lagay. kasi ang mga gagong tao, lalabag sa traffic rules, kung mahuli, maglalagay. sinanay ninyo kasi. kawawa naman ang mga sumusunod sa batas katulad ng nangyari kay nanay.
Kanya kanyang modus operandi, paano, ang mga boss kumikita rin ng big time sa mga ibat ibang scams. Kung maayos ang mga namumuno, walang maglalakas loob ba na gumawa ng mga ganito. For sure, walang gagawin ang mga nasa taas, kung mayroon man, pakitang tao lamang to cool down the issue, tapos goodbye kaso.
talagang masakit sa ulo to stand up against all sorts of bullies—whether civilians or men of the uniform. My husband and I have such a case of being harassed and threatened just because we were standing for our rights (in this a case, a land dispute). But if one perseveres (as well as pray that all the demons residing in those people’s heads vanish :-)…) they will eventually and grudgingly leave you alone and even make the wrong, right. But it will take a long time, and JJ’s mother (as well as everyone who had experienced such trauma) shake off their fear and stand headstrong na. Tama na itong mga kagaguhan! Change will only occur if the citizenry cannot be cowed anymore!
dinah-pinoy – April 30, 2010 6:44 am
lacson ba kamo? eh yan ang number one mangongotong. ano ba ang nagawa ni lacson noon sa ganitong modus-operandi? matagal na yan. pinoy nga naman oo….
igan, mukhang natutulog ka ata sa pansitan! gising, tanghali na! Pangalan mo pa lang, mukhang matagal mo ng tinakwil pagkapinoy mo…
SumpPit – April 30, 2010 4:45 am
That’s why we need a Lacson, not a Spineless Neurotic nor a Jueteng Lord.
SumpPit, asan ba si Lacson? hindi bat nagtatago dahil sa kagaguhan ng gobyerno natin! Kung naniniwala ka sa pinaglalaban ni Lacson, hindi ba dapat suportahan mo din kung sino susuportahan nyang pagkapresidente?
Keep us posted Ellen on Gen. Versoza’s action.
This Two stooges must be held answerable for their callous action. Extortion and robbery ito. Not to mention the trauma suffered by Mrs Domingo.
PNP may take action and file charges against the Two stooges for “show and tell” to public. Then claim that complainants are unable to come to the Philippines for the court appearances, ergo…charges dropped. Investigation close.
Witnesses via video-live streaming is now doable, if so required, the lawyers of Mrs Domingo should look into this alternative, considering that her place of work is outside of the country. Puede ito di ba? Just my thoughts…
perl,
ipagtanggol mo ang bata mo. huwag pangalan ko ang bulatlatin mo.
Grabe ang nangyari sa kanila! Mga hayop ang gumawa nito at hindi tao, mga walang takot sa Diyos dahil nga wala silang Diyos. Ganito na ba kaganid at kasama ang mga pulis ngayon. Nakakatakot talagang tumira sa ‘Pinas, much more kung foreigner ka pa. Wala kang proteksyon. Sana naman aksiyunan ito ng kinauukulan, at gumawa ng hakbang , yong totoo para di na maulit ito. Dito ako sa ‘Pinas nakatira pero, di ako pumupunta sa lugar na ganyan, much more di ako lumalapit sa mga pulis, kasia nga tingin ko sa kanila lahat, mga krinminal. Of course, di naman lahat, pero hellow! gumawa kayo ng paraan para mawala ang bad image nyo. kaya dito sa ‘Pinas, lahat ng pangit at kahayupan ng mga taong walang puso, especially yong pang mga pulis na yan, na dapat magpatupad ng batas, ay sila pang mga hayup at krimina.. My blood is boiling .. talagang, wala na bang pag asa ang ‘Pinas? Bansang super hirap, bansang walang sibilisadong tao? Mahiya naman kayo!
perl,
ikaw yata ang tulog sa pansitan. alam mo ba kung bakit nagtatago si ping? bakit mag-kaaway na sila ni erap? jinggoy? sino ba si dacer?
matagal ng pinaguusapan dito yan… ewan syo kung naasan ka… balikan mo ung mga lumang thread dito sa ellenville… para may matutunan ka…
speaking of Gen. Versoza… matagal na din hindi ko naririnig o nababasa pangalan nya sa balita… kung hindi pa maiimbitahan sa isang show ng media…
perl,
matagal na palang pinag-uusapan, eh bakit bigla kang umatake sa pangalan ko nang banatan ko si ping? alam mo na pala ang mga baho ni ping. ang sa akin eh pa-alala lang kay sumpPit. bakit kaya ikaw ang sumagot?
kailangan nga ng lacson in my humble opinion. wala na ako maisip kung sino pa right now ang may cajones para idisiplina ang sarili niyang kapulisan.
Dinah, paki basa na lang ang mga to at paki research na din track records nya at icompare sa mga naging hepe ng kapulisan natin:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panfilo_Lacson
Ang Dalawang Mukha ng Sining
http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=7214
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s speech
http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=7259
I left to evade conspiracy: Ping
http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=9368
Laking tuwa ng Malacañang
http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=9422
Malacañang’s handiwork
http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=9552
Dinah, paki basa na lang ang mga to at paki research na din track records nya at icompare sa mga naging hepe ng kapulisan natin:
“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panfilo_Lacson”
Ang Dalawang Mukha ng Sining
“http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=7214”
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s speech
“http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=7259”
I left to evade conspiracy: Ping
“http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=9368”
Laking tuwa ng Malacañang
“http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=9422”
Malacañang’s handiwork
“http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=9552”
I was so drained after reading the article. It’s just too much if you have a weak heart.
Let’s pray that this will not happen not only to our mothers but to everyone else.
The police are supposed to be the good guys whose duty is to protect the people from the bad guys but that’s no longer the case. The question is who will protect the people from these mobsters in police uniform who abused their authority and use their badges to intimidate, extort and even kill people?
Whoever gets elected president should put peace and order as one of its top priority. Peace and order is one way to start a re-development, reform and encourage investments. It gives peace of mind to every citizen. Without peace and order, the country will only sink deeper and deeper…into the abyss.
May nagtip sa mga pulis na galing ang mother niya sa Japan kaya ang 20,000 Pesos na kikil ay akala nila kayang kaya.
Mahirap ngang umuwi sa Pinas, lalu na iyong mga hindi na makapagtagalog, at inglis ng inglis at may foreign diction na, halataing balikbayan, kaya malamang targetin na makikilan. Lesson, wag pumunta sa mga slum area.
there are slum areas in pinas not only because the poor have no jobs and no place to live.also not only because members of the pnp connive with them but also the politicians connive with the police.as long as we have not learned how to use our votes properly we will not get rid of this problem.
yan ang modus operandi ng cpd cops, ilan sa mga naging biktima ay tinulungan ko na mag file ng reklamo sa ombudsman pero wala ding nangyari pera pera rin kasi ang nasa ombudsman.
para sa akin mas matino ang PNP noong panahon ni Lacson. Pati malalaking tiyan hindi puwede kahit heneral pa siya. Noong pumasok ang administrasyon ni GMA bumalik sa dating gawi ang kapulisan di ko naman nilalahat pero nagkalat ang mga demonyong naka uniporme.
JJ Domingo’s “The Nutbox” blog is here: http://thenutbox.i.ph/blogs/thenutbox
When AnnaDB broke the news, I immediately contacted JJ or “J” as he blogs here in Ellenville.
This is a culture, and most if not all of us knows it.
Here’s my personal experience: Three weeks after Martial Law in September 1973, we were dropped off by a Helicopter at the U S Embassy. One of my companions Mr. Moran was being picked by his driver and offered to dropped me off at Taft Ave (infront Jai Alai) as I was headed to San Marcelino Ave (Adamson University). After I alighted from the car and was walking thru the eskinita going to San Marcelino, two cops in khaki uniforms came rushing behind me demanding “where are the contrabands!!”. To make the story short, they didn’t find anything as I only had my clothes and personal hygiene stuff. But I was pissed.
All thru these years, I kept thinking how stupid those two cops were. Why you ask? They could have planted a bag of Marijuana or any drugs in my bag and it would had been a different story.
Have one more story at NAIA but that’s for another day. And all that I could advise to anyone disembarking at this airport, you better be ALERT and SMART; the person/s trying to be a good samaritan could be your pain and suffering.
———————————————————–
We hope the victim here, and for the life of me an Elderly Woman, will get retribution for all her miseries. Not all cops though are in that mode.
Ganyan kadumi ang lipunan, ganyan na ka kumplikado ang kanilang utak. Utak sindikato na lang, dahil tila nakatingala sa mas mataas pa na sindikato kaya naging mandurugas na sindikato sa loon ng “uniform”… uniporming inihain mula sa buhis ng mga mamayan. Mamayan ang nagpapakain, mamayan din ang titirahin! Ano ang tawag sa asal na yan?
ang mga pangyayaring ganyan ay epekto kapag duwag at walang political will ang namumuno… at sila mismong namumuno, abala sa pagkolekta ng kotong…
hindi naman impossibleng pasunurin ang mga kapulisan para tumino dahil nagawa na yan ni Ping Lacson…
Sino ba ang nagluluk sa kasalalukuyan pamahalaan di ba ang mga di- na pinoy ang pagiisip dahil sa akala nila maiibibigay nila sa taong bayan sa maling pamamaran at labagin ang saligan batas,siguro maligaya ngayon ang ungas na di-na pinoy,at maghalalal na naman ng isang hangal upang kaladkarin ang lahing pinoy sa walang habas na kahirapan.
I believe your uncle is an idiot or in cohorts with the policemen. He should have called a lawyer and filed a complaint. Baka kakutsaba siya. Baka siya ang informer! Analyse this = “…my mom was determined to call the family lawyer, but my uncle told him that if the lawyer came, the cops who signed her arrest order would surely disappear and so she would still end up staying in jail for the whole night…”