The Philippine National Police on Sunday said the arrest of Communist Party of the Philippines Central Committee member Vicente Ladlad was legitimate and said it was considering filing obstruction of justice charges against his wife, Fides Lim-Ladlad.
“The confiscation of high-powered firearms and explosives in the possession of Ladlad and two others is a result of a lawful search made by the police witnessed and certified by officials of the homeowners association,” PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said Sunday.
At the same time, the PNP has discussed obstruction of justice charges against Mrs. Ladlad who “went wild” as her husband was being taken away in a patrol car following his arrest, and tried to block the car from leaving.
Albayalde said what Mrs. Ladlad did was tantamount to obstruction of justice because it interfered with police procedure.
Albayalde said Mrs. Ladlad had made an apology which he accepted it.
“I understand her deep concern for the well being of her husband and as a Christian, I am inclined to graciously accept her apology,” Albayalde said.
“However, I must reiterate we are a nation of laws not of men. And violations of laws have their consequences,” he said.
Albayalde rejected critics’ claims that the firearms and ammunition seized from Ladlad during the raid were planted.
Earlier, Mrs. Ladlad had claimed the guns were planted and challenged the PNP to test the guns for fingerprints, which she said would show they were planted.
Her apology, however, was laced with irony.
“I hope General Albayalde will find it in his heart to forgive me when his charming wife, Mrs. Albayalde, will also obstruct justice with her bare hands by blocking a police van because he’s imprisoned inside and she knows not where he will be brought, or what perchance will happen to him because of a state malady called evidencia plantida de pulis,” she said in a statement released by the human rights group Karapatan.
