The chief of the Philippine National Police-Human Rights Affairs Office on Thursday assured that steps have already been taken to get to the bottom of the alleged torture committed by members of the Manila Police District (MPD) against an alleged robbery suspect.

Police Chief Supt Franklin Bucayu, chief of the PNP Human Rights Affairs Office, said that the PNP headed by Police Director General Jesus A. Versoza does not tolerate such acts and that steps have already been done to investigate and punish those who are allegedly part of it.

Earlier, the National Capital Region Police Office chief, Director Leocadio Santiago ordered the relief of Senior Inspector Joselito Binayug, precinct commander of Asuncion in Tondo and his men following the airing on television news channel ABS-CBN of a cell phone footage showing the alleged torture of a robbery suspect.

Bucayu said that as a result of the incident, the PNP has created “Task Group Asuncion” composed of members of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Intelligence Group (IG) the MPD and the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) to probe the matter.

“The task force is already conducting an investigation regarding the incident. Aside from that, Senior Inspector Joselito Binayog has already been relieved of his post, disarmed and will undergo formal investigation. He has been assigned to the MPD pending the result of the probe,” Bucayu said.

Bucayu said that they are also in favor of enforcing stiffer sanctions against those committing torture on civilians or alleged criminals to prevent them from doing such acts.

He added that since the creation of the PNP’s Human Rights Affairs Office three years ago, they have been doing their best to educate their policemen on how to promote human rights in the enforcement of their job.

“We have not been sleeping on our jobs in enforcing discipline on our policemen. In fact, since the start of the year, we already have three policemen dismissed from service, one suspension and another one under preventive suspension. We will try to improve more on this,” he said.