Laguna police, intelligence chiefs sacked over ‘torture’ reports
By Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon
January 30, 2014

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Philippines — The head of the Laguna police and the chief of the police intelligence branch (PIB) in the same province were relieved of their posts, following allegations of torture and maltreatment of police detainees in an unauthorized detention facility in Biñan City, Laguna.

Chief Superintendent Jesus Gatchalian, the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) police director, said on Thursday, the two officers were relieved as an internal investigation continuing into the so-called “torture chamber” in one of PIB’s satellite offices.

The two relieved officials were Senior Supt. Pascual Muñoz, provincial director of Laguna, and Superintendent Kirby Kraft, Laguna’s chief intelligence officer.

Earlier relieved and charged administratively were 10 PIB unit personnel, including the team leader, Chief Inspector Arnold Formento. This was after the Commission on Human Rights released a report that the policemen tortured the detainees, either to punish them, elicit information from them or for sheer fun.

“There’s something flawed,” Gatchalian said in a phone interview.
Gatchalian ordered the shutdown of the lock-up jail in St. Francis I subdivision where 26 crime suspects used to be held.

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