NAGA CITY - - A parent of a 14 year-old minor has accused the Naga City's Public Safety Office (PSO) chief of manhandling his son and two other companions after the minors were brought for questioning at the City hall here, concerning a series of burglaries at the City hall offices .
Angel de la Vega Tagle, 54, a resident of Panganiban Drive here, stated in a radio-broadcast on Tuesday (Aug. 25) that his son Alberto Onolfo Tagle was manhandled by PSO Chairman Lito San Andres Del Rosario; meanwhile two other minors, James Francis B. Polgante, 12, and Junaid Sumalde, 10, were also reportedly hurt by PSO staff at a separate room while being questioned .
Angel Tagle had filed a complaint in a blotter-report at the Naga Police District Office, Precinct 1, concerning the said incident that occurred in the afternoon of Aug. 22 .
But in Del Rosario's version stated to the police, the three minors were reportedly caught loitering the City Hall compound on the afternoon of August 22; they told PSO personnel that they were gathering "Malungay leaves" for a neighbor.
Del Rosario claimed that during the questioning, Tagle admitted to have participated in a robbery at the COMELEC Office, Department of Agriculture Office, and the Coop-NATCCO all in the City hall compound; the said incidents were reported to the police last August 21.
The PSO chief also stated that Tagle had begged not to be charged for the robbery, and that a camera and other items stolen at the COMELEC Office will be returned.
Reportedly, Del Rosario and PSO personnel went to Tagle's home and in the presence of family members allegedly searched the premises for the stolen items with only a cellphone-charger being reportedly recovered.
PSO also reported that after questioning, all three minors were handed-over to their parents on the same day.
However, police sources at the Naga Police district said the PSO had abused their authority with the alleged report of manhandling, the conducted search, and questioning of minors as robbery suspects; instead, they should have turned them over to the police and the City's Social Welfare and Development Office .
The City's PSO created by the Robredo Administration to look after traffic concerns and safety had been criticized by some sectors for encroaching on critical police functions. (SONNY SALES)