PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief General Dionardo Carlos vowed Wednesday, January 26, not to tolerate the wrongdoings of cops following the involvement of eight policemen in a robbery incident in Angeles City, Pampanga.
“Tuloy-tuloy lang namin ito nagreremind sinasabihan namin sila na huwag kayong ma-involved sa ganyan, and yet you are doing that, sorry, we will operate. We will make sure that you are removed from the organization, cause we don’t want to taint the bigger majority of performing and professional police officers and yet there are few of you that are tainting the good job and profession way of performing duties of the majority,” he said in an interview in Camp Crame.
Carlos reiterated the one-strike policy in the organization, where superior officials will also be answerable for the irregularities done by their personnel.
Around 1 a.m. Wednesday, personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Central Luzon arrested Major Ferdinand Mendoza, Staff Sergeants Mark Anthony Reyes Iral and Sanny Ric Alicante, Corporals Richmond Francia, John Gervic Fajardo and Kenneth Rheiner Ferrer Delfin and Patrolmen Leandro Veloso Mangale and Hermogines Rosario Jr., who were all members of CIDG Anti-Organized Criminal Unit in Camp Crame.
CIDG Director Major General Albert Ferro said the CIDG-Regional Field Unit (RFU) conducted an operation after receiving a report about an ongoing robbery in a residential house in Diamond Subdivision, Barangay Balibago, Angeles City.
The robbery was allegedly perpetrated by a group of armed men in civilian clothes who identified themselves as CIDG personnel.
Ferro said a short scuffle took place upon the arrival of the operating units, as the suspects claimed they were conducting a legitimate buy-bust operation.
“Nagkaputukan pa dito kasi akala nila magnanakaw talaga ang kanilang nirespondehan,” he said.
He said the claims of the suspects were invalidated after the operating unit found the victims’ personal belongings inside their vehicle.
Ferro said based on the account of the victims, who are Chinese nationals and appear to be operators of Philippine Offshore Gaming, the suspects entered their house on the evening of January 25 and initially asked them for P5 million.
Ferro said charges of robbery extortion will be filed against the eight policemen.
“Kami sa CIDG, ‘yung klarong manifestation of the violation administratively at criminally was seen. Hindi na kailangan iklaro yun,” he said.
“Very clear sa ating police operational procedure na ang isang operation will start from an investigation report (IR)... from that, they can ask their superior for a pre-operational clearance, wherein they will ask their commander to submit a pre-operation to the command group to have clearance from us. Unfortunately, when I verified their pre-ops, wala talaga IR, kumbaga para may basis ‘yung ops. From the very start, null and void ang operation,” he added.
Ferro said it is also unacceptable and a “clear violation to the PNP’s operational procedure” to see personal belongings of the victims in the vehicle used in the operation especially if it is not among the subjects of the operation.
“Ito po ay ating tututukan at masusing aayusin subaybayan ang pagfile ng kaso. Sila po ay makukulong, ipi-pin po namin sila. Hindi pwedeng pakawalan kasi sila ay may ginawang kasalanan,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)