Newsmakers of 2011 (second part)

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

THE year 2011 has shown many members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army either directly or indirectly involved in some illegal activities.

In January, the National Police Commission and the People’s Law Enforcement Board have investigated ten cases involving police officers, four of whom were charged with grave misconduct and dishonesty.

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The National Bureau of Investigation has also released a list of wanted persons in the region that included three policemen who were charged with murder and rape.

Charged with murder cases were Police Officer (PO) 3 Rommel Pontillas and PO2 Arturo Labrador who were both assigned at the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) and Senior Police Officer (SPO) 2 Lonie Rementizo for rape.

Rementizo was later arrested in Davao City and is now detained at the Lumbia City Jail.

Another policeman, Anthony Balaba of the Jasaan Police Station in Misamis Oriental, was also arrested after he was allegedly caught holding pot session inside a suspected drug den in Cagayan de Oro.

Balaba has denied his involvement in the “pot session,” saying that he was just in the area to look for his stolen motorcycle.

One policeman, SPO4 Macwell Eusora, was also investigated for allegedly protecting and helped setting up illegal cockfights in some areas of Cagayan de Oro.

In June, at least four policemen were administratively penalized for allegedly bungling a case that they handled, as discovered by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Charged were PO2 Rustum Genis, PO2 Lodigario Sagun, PO2 Raymund Seno and PO3 Joel Deloso.

The four policemen arrested a certain Emilio Baconga in Barangay Lapasan during a buy-bust operation, who was consequently charged with violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

However, PDEA said the four policemen executed an affidavit of recantation for the dismissal of the case against Baconga.

Another policeman from Lanao del Sur, PO2 Indahan Hamdag Buleg, was also arrested and later charged for allegedly selling illegal drugs during a buy-bust operation in Cagayan de Oro.

A police officer, SPO1 Glenn Pallugna, was also charged with frustrated homicide for allegedly shooting a teenager in Barangay Carmen in October.
Pallugna, who was reportedly under the influence of liquor during the incident, is out on bail pending the conduct of trial.

In November, another member of Cocpo, SPO1 Joven Boyose, was accused of extortion by a Cagayan de Oro resident.

The resident said Boyose, a traffic investigator, is allegedly extorting “habal-habal” drivers and sidewalk vendors stationed in front of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) along Velez-Licoan Sts.
She said Boyose is allegedly asking P50 or P100 from “habal-habal” drivers and consume food and drinks from vendors without even bothering to pay.

The woman further said when there is a vehicular accident, Boyose would take the driver’s license and settle the case right away by allegedly asking as much as P500 from the drivers for them to get back their license, without reporting it to their office.

Boyose declined to answer the woman’s allegation.

In December, the chief of the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB)-Northern Mindanao, including four other senior police officers, were relieved from their post after they were accused of physical maltreatment by two junior police officers.

Relieved were SPO 2 Charles C. Osip, RPSB battalion chief; and Police Officers 1 Dhon Isador P. Oracoy, Rex E. Luzdoc, Reynante H. Cam and Ryan T. Mañoza.

The five were accused by Police Officers 1 Job J. Seronay and Nick Ryan A. Ampong of physically maltreating them last June.

At least three soldiers were also relieved from their post for their allegedly involvement in the kidnapping of a businessman in Marawi City.

Relieved were Major Mikunug Tangote, Corporal Harvey M. Borreta and Sergeant Edwin Paculba, all assigned at the 4th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army in Cagayan de Oro.

The three soldiers engaged in a shootout with policemen after the supposed payoff of the P5-million ransom halted.

As more cops have been involved in illegal activities, even the City Council said these policemen need “moral recovery.”

(To be continued)