Police Officers Face Complaints Over Unrelated Charges
Three police officers are now under scrutiny after allegedly filing unrelated charges against a father whose son tragically died from leptospirosis. This case has drawn attention to the conduct of law enforcement and the pressing need for accountability within the police force.
Jayson dela Rosa, the father of 20-year-old Dion Angelo dela Rosa, also known as Gelo, was accompanied by his lawyer Arnold Valenzuela and Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David during the filing of complaints before the National Police Commission (Napolcom). Officials reported that the officers involved were not named during a recent press briefing.
Tragic Circumstances Surrounding the Case
Gelo, a third-year human resource services student at Malabon City College, contracted leptospirosis after wading through waist-deep floodwaters while searching for his missing father. The search began when Jayson went missing on July 22.
Community members said that Jayson was initially arrested at a convenience store on allegations of theft. However, three days later, on July 25, he was charged with violating Presidential Decree No. 1602, which pertains to illegal gambling.
Controversy Over Charges Filed
According to Valenzuela, the convenience store chose not to pursue theft charges against Jayson. Despite this, Jayson was detained for several days at Caloocan Substation 2 before police reportedly filed a lesser offense against him.
“He was still arrested by the police and was told to be grateful because 7-Eleven would no longer pursue the case against him, but he was still taken to the station and detained at Substation 2,” Valenzuela said in Filipino after filing the complaints.
He added, “And when he was at Substation 2, he was told that since he was lucky 7-Eleven did not press charges for the alleged theft, they would instead charge him with a lesser offense (PD 1602) as a sort of ‘favor,’ even though it wasn’t true.”
Valenzuela further emphasized, “Supposedly, there’s no complaint; the police should let him go because there is no complaint. But for reasons only known to the police officers, they opted to invent a case, to make up a case that is not true.”
Legal Actions and Ongoing Investigation
Aside from the administrative complaints filed before Napolcom, Jayson’s legal team has decided to pursue criminal charges against the officers involved for their alleged misconduct.
Napolcom Vice Chairperson and Executive Officer Rafael Calinisan revealed that grave misconduct charges might be filed against the officers based on Jayson’s testimony and CCTV footage obtained from the convenience store.
Further, investigations are ongoing regarding the possible involvement of two to three other police officers who may have assisted in filing the illegal gambling complaint against Jayson, sources said.
This case highlights the urgent need for transparency and integrity in law enforcement, especially when families are already enduring tragic losses.
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