Wednesday, September 05, 2007 60-day suspension for 3 ‘extortion’ cops
POLICE Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Silverio Alarcio Jr. yesterday signed the 60-day suspension order against three policemen from the disbanded Vice Control Section (VCS).
This is to give way to the summary dismissal proceedings against SPO1 Jaime Otadoy, PO1 Raniel Capangpangan and PO3 Rey Albotra.
Alarcio said he shortened the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division’s (RIDMD) recommendation from 90 to 60 days to “expedite” the proceedings.
Quick resolution
“We want to finish the resolution of the case within that period. If we can do that in a month, so much the better,” he said.
A summary hearing officer was designated to handle the proceedings and was relieved from her current duties so she could concentrate on the case.
Alarcio said this was to “send a strong message” to erring police officers.
He said that in past cases, the hearing drag-ged on for months because the designated summary hearing officer also had other duties.
Approved
This time, he does not want the “significance” of the case to be lost because of the time it took to resolve it.
After Alarcio signed the RIDMD’s recommendation, it was endorsed to the Regional Personnel and Human Resources Development Division so it can issue orders implementing the suspension to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), where the three are currently assigned.
Otadoy was arrested in an entrapment conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 inside the VCS office. Capangpangan was able to slip away during the operation while Albotra was not around.
The three are accused of demanding P2 million from a businessman, who then reported the matter to the PRO 7.
The PRO 7, in turn, requested the NBI 7 to conduct the entrapment.
Good move
PNP Chief Oscar Cal-deron, who learned about the incident, ordered Alarcio to dismiss the three policemen.
Meanwhile, Insp. Wil-bert Parilla, the former chief of the VCS, has requested to be transferred outside Cebu City, according to CCPO Acting Director Patrocinio Comendador yesterday.
As a result of the incident, Comendador immediately disbanded the special unit and placed Parilla under floating status for allegedly mismanagement of his men.
For Comendador, the decision of Parilla to “seek reassignment elsewhere” is a good move “so that he will not be hounded by the controversy” if he continues to stay at the city police.
“Both ways, it will be good for the CCPO and for his career so he can prove his worth,” Comendador said.
At present, Parilla is detailed directly under Comendador’s office but was not given specific assignment. (MEA/JST)
