SO THE scalawags in the police force are still around. This we can conclude with the news about the death of one and the arrest of four of his cohorts in an encounter with a Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team Tuesday dawn, July 31, in Taguig City, Metro Manila.
The Swat team was chasing a kidnap-for-ransom gang in an entrapment operation. That the dead and the arrested turned out to be policemen in active service was thus a big surprise.
The slain cop was identified as Police Officer (PO) 1 Gerardo Ancheta. Arrested were PO1 Bryan Amir Bajo, PO1 Paolo Ocampo, and PO2 Joey Maru, all members of the Taguig City police station, police community precinct (PCP) 1 in Western Bicutan.
Southern Police District Director Tomas Apolinario Jr. said they are the Maru kidnap-for-ransom group.
The Swat team were responding to a report by Ronielyn Caraecle, who said four armed men forcibly entered her house on Viscara Street, New Lower Bicutan, Taguig, around 12:30 a.m. of July 31, and took her and her boyfriend Samuel aside from carting away cash amounting to P7,000, two gold watches and signature wallets. She was released after her family was able to produce P20,000 and that she was to produce the balance while the gang kept her boyfriend.
Just the day before, the same group were said to have barged into the house of one Moreen del Castillo on MLQ street, Purok 2, New Lower Bicutan, and took her cash amounting to P50,000.
Although, we can say they were still amateurs we can't help but wonder, where did they get the brazenness? Is there someone or some group they are taking a twisted inspiration from?
National Capital Region Police Office Director Guilermo Eleazar ordered the relief of 39 police personnel assigned in PCP 1, including the PCP commander while investigation is ongoing, the report said. It will pay to check on the activities of the police personnel as well. These upstarts must have learned something somewhere and from someone.