Four policemen assigned to the San Rafael Municipal Police Station in Bulacan have been dismissed from their posts over their alleged involvement in a “mistaken identity” case in Baliwag.

According to a Friday report by RH 52 Edniel Parrosa, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief PGen. Jose Melencio Nartatez announced that the station chief himself was relieved due to command responsibility.

The victim, a businessman, reported that men who claimed they were police officers accosted him and demanded he enter their vehicle.

However, as the officers were unable to produce an arrest warrant, he refused to comply.

An investigation into the incident revealed that the officers had apparently attempted to arrest the wrong person.

“This is an actual police operation, but the police operation is not following the correct procedure ng pag-aresto—not following the police operational procedure. And so, they are now in hot water, they’ve been relieved of their posts, they were assigned to (a) regional holding unit and facing administrative and criminal cases, including the concerned head of office or the chief of police, or ‘yung mga opisyal na nagsu-supervise sa kanila for command responsibility,” Nartatez told reporters.

The officers have turned in their issued firearms and are now detained at the Central Luzon PNP Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit (PHAU).

PNP officials have ordered a probe into the operational guidelines and protocols that may have been violated by the relieved officers, who were not in uniform and did not carry the appropriate documents during the incident.