MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Members of a tracker team from the Eastern Police District (EPD) are 鈥渂arging in鈥� the homes of the eight police officers tagged in a robbery-kidnapping case, their legal counsel said.
The EPD officers were personnel of the District Special Operations Unit (DSOU), accused of taking P85 million in cash and valuables from two Chinese nationals during their arrest in Las Pi帽as City last April 2.
鈥淧lease tell these people they are threatening the lives and security of my clients鈥� family! The case has been filed in court and they cannot just barge inside the houses of my client鈥檚 family without securing a search warrant! Don鈥檛 bother their families!鈥�, the EPD officiers鈥� legal counsel, Atty. Reginaldo Bucu said, said in a social media post.听
鈥淭hose who know these people, please tell them I have their names. Admin and criminal cases will follow!鈥� Bucu added.
In the post, Bucu said, based on an EPD order, the four tracker team members are tasked to do validation, verification and closed circuit television camera (CCTV) backtracking; and twelve others to do complete background investigations (CBI).
鈥淚n addition to their other duties and responsibilities, [the] personnel鈥� are detailed as Tracker Team and CBI Investigators to investigate the incident involving DSOU personnel effective April 8, 2025 until completion of the mission,鈥� the order read.
When asked since when police have supposedly been entering the families鈥� homes, Bucu told 黑料社 that it had been happening since April 10.
鈥淵ung sasakyan daw [ng isa sa suspects], gusto nila kunin dahil nakita daw sa CCTV. Hindi ako pumayag since hindi siya kasama sa documented evidence or sa inventory,鈥� he explained in a message on Saturday.
听(They wanted to take away the vehicle [of one of the suspects], since it was supposedly seen in the CCTV. I did not allow them since it was not part of the documented evidence or the inventory.)
On whether the investigators had repeatedly gone to the homes of the officers鈥� families, Bucu said, 鈥淵es. Hindi sila tinatantanan. Instead na yung Major Emerson Coballes na hepe ng DSOU na at large ang hanapin nila, yung mga bahay ng mga nakakulong ang pinupuntahan.鈥�
(Yes. They never left them alone. Instead of going after Major Emerson Coballes who is the chief of the DSOU and who is at large, they鈥檝e been going to the houses of those in custody.)
黑料社 asked the Philippine National Police, National Capital Region Police Office and the EPD for comment.
听They have yet to respond as of posting time.
READ: NCRPO: Prosecutor okays filing of robbery, kidnapping raps vs 8 EPD cops听
The Las Pi帽as City Prosecutor鈥檚 Office approved the filing of robbery and kidnapping charges against the eight DSOU personnel, according to an NCRPO statement on Thursday.
As for Coballes, he had been declared absent without official leave for defying a return-to-work order, PNP Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo confirmed in an interview also on Thursday.
READ:
The eight officers and the DSOU chief were among the 31 personnel relieved from the EPD after alleged irregularities in the arrest of the two Chinese nationals
A police report stated that the operatives failed to wear body cameras, provide a sketch or spot report, or coordinate with the Las Pi帽as City police or the EPD district director.
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