Iloilo police chief stays amid ‘kotong’ audio probe

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Police Capt. Ryan Christ Inot remains chief of Iloilo City Police Station 4 despite the circulation of an unverified audio recording allegedly involving a station personnel and a relative of a drug suspect.

Col. Wilbert Parilla, director of the Iloilo City Police Office, said it would be unfair to remove Inot or other officers from their posts based solely on unverified allegations.

Parilla said police have taken cognizance of the recording and are investigating it along with previous allegations against Inot.

“We will wait until the investigation is over recommendation and recommendations would be made,” he said.

The alleged “kotong,” or extortion, recording purportedly captured a man claiming to be an ICPS 4 personnel asking the family of arrested drug suspect “Lovi Poe” to pay PHP 150,000 for the suspect’s release.

Poe confirmed that the woman heard in the recording was his sister, Rhea.

Inot denied that he or members of his station had asked or attempted to ask for money in exchange for the release of an arrested suspect.

Poe, a hairdresser, and his live-in partner were arrested after a months-long surveillance operation in Molo district late June 26.

Police said they seized about 200 grams of suspected illegal drugs with an estimated standard drug price of PHP 1.36 million.

The suspects’ relatives alleged during the arrest that Inot and his team had “planted” the evidence recovered from the couple.

Inot drew further attention after heavily armed members of the Philippine National Police Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group entered ICPS 4 on the afternoon of July 1.

The operation followed a tip that a wanted former police officer was hiding inside the station, but the suspect was not found.

An anonymous letter was later sent to a radio station accusing Inot of robbery and planting evidence.

Parilla acknowledged that the allegations have affected Inot’s effectiveness as station chief.

However, Parilla said Inot, like any other police officer, should be afforded due process while the investigations are ongoing.