Editorial: No place for cops like this

THE news about this police officer who forced a young medical representative to give him money in exchange for her freedom and under threat of being raped here in Davao City sends shivers of alarm.

The case of PO1 Mahkael Oliver Enano Dicay, a criminology licensure exam board passer in 2009 and a member of the First Maneuver Company under the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) based in Camp Catitipan, however, is an incident that we must demand quick prosecution and a punishment that will strike fear in the hearts of all other uniformed men.

To prey on regular employees who have nothing to protect themselves with is utterly reprehensible. That this is not the first time he did this, having reportedly victimized two businessmen before this hapless female medical representative last Wednesday, belies his puny excuse that he was in dire need. From his actions, it appears that extortion and kidnap-for-ransom are activities that he has no qualms to engage in.

Moreso, who he was listed as absent without leave (Awol) SINCE June 11 should have already warned higher authorities that something is afoot.

Dicay I not the first one who went Awol and committed a crime. Last April, a policeman belonging to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group 11 was arrested in a drug buy-bust operation.

Police Officer 1 Angelo Mudol Besana, 32, who hails from Poblacion, Parang in Maguindanao but is a transient resident of SIR New Matina in Davao City, was arrested at the Tionko Football Fields on April 14, 2012.

Like Dicay, Besana went Awol since March 2 and only showed up on March 10, 2012 when he was reminded to report for work by his superiors, but went Awol again.

Being men in uniform who are licensed to bring arms, cases of being Awol should already be a warning sign that something is amiss. Mere reminders and summons are not enough. History will show that policemen involved in criminal acts have gone Awol, thus if the Philippine National Police (PNP) is serious about weeding out the scalawags among their ranks, mere few days of absence without leave should already be a red flag of warning.

There is nothing more infuriating than police officers just brushing off knowledge of a policeman involved in extortions, kidnapping, drugs, and similar crimes by saying that the policeman involved has gone “Awol.”