SHABU SUSPECT SAYS MARIG COPS DETAINED HIM IN INN FOR 8 HOURS

Maritime Group (Marig) 7 operatives did not bring suspected big-time drug
courier Willy Solon directly to their office.

Instead, they kept him for eight hours in a downtown inn following his
arrest last month.

"They brought me to the Maritime Police office only at 4 p.m. From there,
we proceeded to the Mabolo Police Station," read Solon's handwritten
affidavit in Cebuano, executed at the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center
(BBRC) last Sunday.

The affidavit formalized Solon's accusations against four Marig 7
operatives who allegedly pocketed two kilos of shabu and took his personal
belongings after he was arrested at Pier 5, Cebu City last July 28 at 7:10 a.m.

It also signified Solon's intention to become a state witness against the
Marig 7 policemen.

With this, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 is now set to
file criminal and administrative charges against the four Marig policemen
for allegedly mishandling the suspect's arrest.

The four Marig policemen are Senior Insp. Roger Mangaoan, PO3 Loreto
Banilad, PO2 Henry Deluna and PO1 Napoleon Taneo.

A PDEA 7 investigator said the Marig operatives may have violated Section
92 of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, for
the delay and bungling in the prosecution of drug cases.

He said the Marig policemen could also be held liable for failing to
inventory all the seized items and for not bringing Solon directly to their
Marig 7 office, a violation of the National Police Commission (Napolcom)
memorandum circular 93-024.

A PDEA 7 official, who asked not to be named, said Marig 7 Chief Sales
Zaragosa may also be included in the administrative case, but added that
they still have to evaluate evidence.

Sun.Star contacted Zaragosa through his cell phone several times for
comment yesterday afternoon to no avail. But he said in an earlier
interview that the Marig 7 would face Solon's accusations in a proper forum.

Surprised

Solon said he was surprised when the Marig 7 brought out only two of four
big packs of suspected shabu when he was presented to local media the next day.

"I swear they had with them four big packs of shabu when they arrested me,"
read Solon's affidavit written in Cebuano.

Sun.Star learned that Solon, 32, executed the affidavit shortly before noon
last Sunday at BBRC in the presence of his mother Francisca, SPO2 Mark
Nadanza of PDEA 7 and Joi Endrina of BBRC.

Lawyer Clarence Paul Oaminal, PDEA 7 legal consultant, subscribed his
statement.

In the same affidavit, Solon affirmed that the Marig policemen took his
Seiko wristwatch worth P5,000; Nokia 7210 cell phone, P11,000; pieces of
jewelry, P35,000; P1,300 cash and automatic teller machine (ATM) card for
an account containing P10,000.

Solon said the operatives also took his ATM personal identification number
before he was taken to a pension house in Tabo-an, Cebu City at 8:30 a.m.
right after his arrest.

The drug suspect, who came from Manila, had just got off from mv Princess
of the Universe, a passenger ferry of Sulpicio Lines Inc., when lawmen
collared him at the pier.

Inside the inn, Solon said his arresting officers then called up his boss,
"Roel Archoa", and demanded P500,000 apparently in exchange for his freedom.

The policemen lowered the amount to P200,00, to no avail, he said.

From Tabo-an, Solon said the Marig 7 operatives brought him to the Pacific
Tourist Inn on V. Gullas St., Cebu City around 9:30 a.m. where they stayed
until late afternoon.

Solon said his arresting officers finally brought him to the Marig 7 office
at the Cebu International Port at 4 p.m., then later to the Mabolo Police
at night.