Internal affairs proposes dismissal of cop accused of killing former asset

A POLICEMAN is facing dismissal for allegedly killing an informant while five PNP personnel in Central Visayas have been suspended for separate charges of grave misconduct and violence against women.

PO3 Michelle Baluyo of Regional Internal Affairs Service (Rias) 7 said Rias has recommended a police officer 3 for dismissal after he shot to death a former police asset in Balamban, Cebu in 2010.

Baluyo said the police officer and a companion confronted the ex-asset about their work as habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) drivers in mountain barangay of Cantuod on Sept. 11, 2010. Their conversation resulted in the policeman allegedly shooting the former asset.

Sun.Star Cebu is withholding the names of the police officers who may face sanctions as they have yet to comment on the charges filed against them.

Baluyo said about 50 police personnel are facing administrative charges in 39 cases pending at Rias 7.

Summary hearings

Of the total number of cases, 17 have been endorsed for summary hearings.

Between January and August this year, Baluyo said, 22 complaints have been filed against police personne.

Baluyo, pre-charge evaluator of Rias 7, said most of the cases involved rookie policemen, or those with ranks from police officer 1 to police officer 3.

“They are more exposed to the public, (doing police work on) the streets. Maybe, they don't have much experience because they are still new and adjusting” she said.

There were no complaints of police abuses from the Regional Public Safety Battalion 7, Siquijor Provincial Police Office and the Cebu Provincial Police Office in the first quarter of the year.

More

According to the PNP internal affairs, a total of 990 men and women in the police force were dismissed in the past 12 years. Another 625 police officers were demoted, 3,622 were suspended and 9,391 were exonerated since the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) was established 12 years ago.

From the 10,124 complaints IAS received, 5,724 resulted in administrative charges.

Yesterday, two Quezon City policemen were relieved and have gone missing after trying to extort money from the son of newly appointed Metro Manila Police Director Leonardo Espina.

The two policemen allegedly tried to extort P20,000 from Espina's son last Sept. 4 but gave up upon learning the identity of their potential victim’s father.