MANILA – The National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) has ordered the immediate preventive suspension of Police Brigadier General Romeo Macapaz, regional director of Police Regional Office 12 (PRO-12), after allegations surfaced that he obstructed the probe into the disappearance of cockfight enthusiasts or sabungeros by tampering with crucial evidence.
NAPOLCOM vice chairperson and executive officer Commissioner Rafael Vicente Calinisan announced the move in a press briefing on Thursday, stressing that the order stemmed from a formal complaint filed earlier this month.
“Therefore, premises considered, the motion for preventive suspension filed by complainant Elakim T. Patidongan is hereby granted,” Calinisan said.
“And thus, Police Brigadier General Romeo G. Macapaz is hereby placed under preventive suspension for a period not exceeding 90 days, effective immediately upon receipt of this resolution,” he added.
The case was initiated by brothers Julie “Dondon” and Elakim Patidongan, whose family members are linked to the missing sabungeros probe. On August 14, they accused Macapaz of unlawfully confiscating their mobile phones while they were in Cambodian custody, later altering the devices by deleting messages and concealing SD cards that could have provided vital leads.
The suspension of Macapaz—who now finds himself at the center of one of the country’s most closely watched mysteries—adds another layer of controversy to the unresolved disappearance of dozens of cockfighting enthusiasts, a case that has already put law enforcement agencies under intense public scrutiny./PN
