By Nancy Carvajal
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed new criminal and administrative charges against 10 members of the National Capital Region Police Office’s (NCRPO) anti-drugs unit over the alleged abduction of two men in Manila in April 2021.
Brent Michael Bravo or “Rico,” 20 years old, and 25-year-old John Phillip Viscara were allegedly abducted by police officers supervised by PCol. Ryan Jay Orapa on April 17, 2021 from an apartment in San Andres Bukid, Manila.
“The abduction of Rico and John was the third case of kidnapping committed by the NCRPO-RDEU operatives within the month of April 2021, alone,” the NBI report said.
Named as respondents in the NBI’s complaint were Orapa, Police Lieutenant Jesus Menez, Police Staff Sergeant Robert Allan Raz, Police Corporal Alric Natividad, Police Corporal Troy Paragas, Police Corporal Ronald John Lanaria, Police Corporal Ronald Montibon, Police Corporal Reynaldo Seno, Police Corporal Russel Solomon, and Police
Corporal Christal Rosita.
They are facing charges of kidnapping, robbery, and grave misconduct.
Also included in the complaint filed before the Department of Justice were police informants Nicasio Apolonio Manio and Nicholes Manio who are currently detained at an NBI facility.
This is the third case of kidnapping filed by NBI against the NCRPO-RDEU operatives over the alleged abduction of at least 11 individuals.
“The series of abduction was done under the guise of a buy-bust operation with similar patterns resulting in the disappearance of the victims, who remained missing today,” the NBI said in its report.
The NBI- Task Force Against Illegal Drugs (TFAID) also filed robbery charges against the NCRPO-RDEU policemen for supposedly taking out Bravo and Viscara’s belongings and money from the apartment.
“NCRPO-RDEU operatives and their civilian assets took the safety deposit box of one of the victims, Rico containing undetermined amount of cash and other personal belongings inside the latter’s apartment through force and intimidation,” the NBI said in the report.
An agent familiar with the case said the evidence of the abduction and robbery were all recorded in the building’s close circuit television camera (CCTV). The surveillance footage has been submitted as evidence to the DOJ, the source added.
For its part, the NBI-TFAID submitted as documentary evidence coordination forms from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and various reports from the NCRPO-RDEU.
