|
Saturday, October 22, 2005
'Extort' cops as sacristans: Calima
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
* Provincial police director Calima calls sanction as "rehabilitation, not penalization"
How do you make policemen atone for their wrongdoing?
Let them serve as acolytes during mass.
And so it is that Senior Police Officer 2 Hector Balbon and Police Officers 2 Arnold Gamboa and Peter Job Berneza will serve as "sacristans" during Sunday masses at the chapel of the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (Noppo) starting this Sunday.
The three policemen of Silay City and a traffic enforcer were reported extorting from a driver of the father of Canlaon City Police Chief Petronilo Dinglasa Jr. last Sunday.
Noppo director Senior Superintendent Charles Calima said he has ordered the immediate relief of the three policemen and their rendering of acolyte duties during Sunday masses at the camp's chapel.
The three policemen have been ordered disarmed and transferred right away to the Noppo headquarters at Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. in Camingawan, Barangay Estefania, Bacolod City.
Calima said this was "rehabilitation, not penalization."
"At least, they can learn a value on how to serve God and mankind with all honesty by serving as acolytes," Calima said.
As acolytes, they could learn how to take care of their profession, names, credibility, integrity and reputation as law enforcers and peacemakers of the community, the Noppo director said.
On weekdays, the three will help clean the Noppo premises.
The "rehabilitation" undertakings, however, will not spare them from an investigation, Calima said.
Calima has ordered acting Silay City Police Director Senior Inspector. Samuel Mina to look into the reported extortion. Calima will decide on the official sanctions to be imposed on the policemen based on Mina's report.
Balbon, Gamboa, Berneza and traffic enforcer Remy Pabillara, also assigned in Silay City, were accused by Canlaon City Police chief Senior Inspector Petronilo Dinglasa Jr. of extortion after they had asked 100 kilos of scrap metal from Jaime Managaytay and his helper Arlon Sasam. The four men had said they would sell the scrap metal, which would have a value of P1,660, to buy coffee.
Managaytay is the driver of Dinglasa's father.
The three policemen denied the allegation when confronted by their acting chief. They told Silay police chief Mina that it was only Pabillaran who asked for the scrap metal. But Pabillaran said he only obeyed their order.
"I can't believe even until now that these three policemen would do this very shameful act. (Silay City) Mayor Carlo Gamban is very supportive of them. On top of their salary, they get P2,000 monthly allowance from the city," Calima said.
Managaytay and Sasam were about to deliver Dinglasa's scrap mental from San Carlos to Bacolod when the three policemen and Pabillaran blocked their way along the Silay highway.
The four law enforcers asked Managaytay to present the transport permits. Pabillaran allegedly asked P100 from Managaytay but the driver said he didn't have that amount.
The traffic enforcer then asked for 100 kilos of scrap metals so they could sell these to a junk shop. Managaytay and Sasam gave them what they wanted.
But when Managaytay and Sasam reached Bacolod, they called up Dinglasa's father, Petronilo Sr. in San Carlos about what happened.
The elder Dingalasa immediately called up his policeman-son in Bacolod, where he is in schooling at the PNP Training Command at Bakyas, Mansilingan.
Dinglasa Jr. informed Mina of the incident.
Balbon, Gamboa and Berneza are all members of the Silay Police elite team.
Gamban said when interviewed over the phone Thursday night that he would wait for Mina's report before he recommends what to do with the policemen.
(October 22, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
