Lawyer Arcelito Albao, director of the National Bureau of Investigation-Davao Region (NBI-Davao), denied abducting suspects.
Albao reiterated that abducting suspects is not a work of NBI-Davao.
The NBI-Davao issued the statement amidst allegations that the agency investigated and kidnapped Dennis Roy P. Panzan, one of the suspects linked in the rape-slay of 28-year-old architect Vlance Marie L. Bragas last month.
Panzan, 18-year-old and a resident of Purok 7 in Barangay Lacson, Davao City, was reported missing on May 27, 2023. Panzan claimed that he was abducted by a group of men but was able to escape while traveling aboard an unidentified vehicle. He sought refuge at the barangay hall of Matina Pangi and later rescued by Talomo police, but collapsed while being debriefed and died at the Davao Adventist Hospital in Bangkal, Davao City on May 29, 2023
Albao said NBI-Davao always follows the rule of law and due process.
“It’s not the style of NBI to abduct any persons of interest or suspects of any case,” Albao told Edge Davao.
Albao stressed that Panzan was not among the persons of interest of NBI-Davao in the parallel investigation of the Bragas rape-slay case.
Albao added that NBI-Davao only investigated the case of respondent Renato Bayansao.
“We conducted a buy-bust and filed a case against him for drug violations,” he said.
Bayansao is among the four suspects filed with rape with homicide case by the Special Investigation Task Force (SITG) Bragas. Other suspects are Dennis Panzan, Kent Lawrence Espinosa, and another unidentified suspect who is still at large.
