Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and Philippine National Police chief Arturo Lomibao yesterday ordered an investigation into the beating up of five agents of the National Bureau of Investigation and two of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation allegedly by about 15 members of the Negros Oriental police force at the Pamplona Golf and Country Club Saturday.

"I will not allow this to pass unchallenged, this is a disgrace to the law enforcement profession," Gonzalez told the DAILY STAR yesterday.

"I have ordered an investigation into the incident and charges will be filed against those responsible," Gonzalez said.

Lomibao said the incident must be investigated, and he has ordered Senior Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, Negros Oriental police director, to explain the incident (related stories on page 22).

"The relationship between the PNP and NBI should not be affected by the incident. The NBI and PNP belong to the sector of law enforcement, we should work hand-in-hand in crime prevention. This is an isolated case," he said.

On allegations that the police were acting as bodyguards of the Korean involved in the incident, Lomibao said "We don't allow bodyguarding if it is not authorized."

Serving as bodyguards to anybody should have the approval of the PNP, he said.

Lomibao has also ordered PNP Region 7 director Edgar Gador to investigate the incident, PNP spokesman, Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil, said yesterday.

Gador has been directed to coordinate closely with the NBI in the investigation to determine administrative and criminal liability, Bataoil said.

Of the seven who were beaten up while attempting to serve a search warrant to a Korean national, one from the NBI whose spinal column was dislocated underwent surgery at a Bacolod hospital yesterday.

An NBI source said the two BID agents from Manila who accompanied the team serving the search warrant had facial injuries from the beatings.

Buenafe told the DAILY STAR yesterday that their initial investigation report shows that security guards, who were earlier disarmed by the NBI agents, and civilians at the golf club were involved in the beating. He said the Oriental Negros police went to the golf club in response to a call for help after the NBI agents disarmed the security guards.

In the commotion that erupted civilians disturbed by the NBI arrival reportedly helped in beating them, Buenafe said.

We are still investigating what happened, we have to hear all sides first, he said.

NBI Bacolod chief Philip Pecache yesterday accompanied the NBI agents involved in the incident to their head office in Manila to submit their reports. In a report he submitted to Victor Bessat, NBI deputy director for regional operations services, yesterday Pecache said the NBI Bacolod operatives led by Menci Mamaspas were assaulted by Oriental Negros policemen led by Chief Inspector Julius Munez.

He said Pastor Kim Seong Kook, a Koreon national residing at Villa Angela Subdivision in Bacolod, filed a complaint with the NBI Bacolod against Ha Hae Bong who was residing at the Pamplona Golf and Country Club in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental.

There are also various complaints like estafa, robbery and carnapping filed before the Bacolod City Prosecutor's Office, Pecache said.

The NBI, armed with a search warrant, was acting on a complaint of illegal possession of firearms against Ha Hae Bong, Pecache said.

The NBI Dumaguete office was informed that the search warrant would be served and coordination was made with the Pamplona police station, and two of its police officers went ahead to the target area, while the NBI team was accompanied by a certain PO1 Torres, Pecache said.

He said the NBI agents thought that when Munez and his men arrived, they would assist in the implementation of the search warrant. However, Munez instead tried to stop them from implementing the search warrant, declared that it was fake, and branded the NBI operatives as kidnappers, Pecache said.

The NBI team members were ordered to raise their hands or they would be killed, disarmed, and made to lie on the ground, face down, Pecache said.

Their hands were then tied behind them with a rope that was then tied around their necks, he said.

"The NBI operatives received hard kicks and rifle butt punches. They were beaten black and blue on their backs," he said.

One of the NBI Bacolod men who was able to escape called Pecache for help prompting the latter to ask Gador to act on the matter.

An NBI team member said someone called Muñez on the phone and the beatings stopped and they were brought to the Oriental Negros PNP provincial command where they were eventually released.

Pecache said he fetched one NBI agent who was admitted at the Silliman University Medical Center on Saturday after they received reports that the Oriental Negros police were trying to get him out of the hospital.*CPG

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