ILOILO City – Three new police officers undergoing special training at the 2nd Mobile Group in Sara, Iloilo were hospitalized. There were suspicions they sustained injuries due to hazing.
Patrolman Mercy Sagal and Patrolman Loyd Zapanta were taken to the Sara District Hospital on Jan. 3 together with another woman police officer who turned out to be pregnant.
There were speculations that the cops were subjected to hazing by their training officers but Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Macasil, Special Training Unit commander of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), denied this.
The three were hospitalized because they got sick, Macasil told Panay News.
Sagai suffered from dehydration while Zapanta had pneumonia, according to Macasil.
The other police officer, he added, turned out to be pregnant.
“Nag-ospital sila dahil sa sakit, hindi sa bogbog. Hindi naman pwede ma-deny ang findings ng doktor. Besides, hindi natin practice ang hazing. What we have is training para sa kanilang kaalaman, for them to be ready for deployment,” stressed Macasil.
The three police officers were part of the 321 personnel taking the Basic Internal Security Operations Course. Their training started on Nov. 21, 2019.
“Nagkasit sila dahil siguro sa klima. Ulan-init ang inabot nila, pero wala tayong magagawa, part ng training ‘yian,” said Macasil.
He dismissed allegations that he instructed the training officers to maul the police personnel for refusing to give him money.
“Bakit ako hihingi ng pera sa kanila? May pera naman ako galing sa sahod ko. At saka hindi ‘yan pwde sa training camp,” said Macasil.
On the other hand, PRO-6 spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong said the medical team from Camp Delgado that went to Sara District Hospital yesterday and checked the police officers reported there were no signs that the three were maltreated.
As of this writing, Sagal and Zapanta were still in the hospital; their medical bills would be shouldered by the PRO-6, said Malong.
On the other hand, the training of the pregnant police officer was ordered stopped; she was instructed to return to the PRO-6./PN
