THE two policemen assigned as security aides to a suspected drug lord will face administrative charges for failing to inform their superiors about their ward's activities.
Police Officer 3 Walter Vidad and Police Officer 2 Faizal Sawadjaan, both members of the PNP Police Security Protection Group (PSPG), will be charged with serious neglect of duty, said Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald dela Rosa.
Since 2010 and 2013, respectively, Vidad and Sawadjaan have been detailed as security escorts to Diana Uy, who was arrested Monday by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in her condominium near the Malacanang Palace in Manila. Anti-narcotics agents allegedly recovered P10 million worth of illegal drugs during the operation.
Uy is a daughter of convicted drug "queen" Yu Yuk Lai, Dela Rosa said. PDEA agents raided Uy's condominium unit several hours after a raid at the Correctional Institute for Women against Yu Yuk Lai yielded suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride.
“The problem is higher authorities ng PSPG blind talaga na anak ni Yu Yuk Lai iyan dahil itong dalawa hindi nagre-report (The problem is higher authorities of PSPG are blind about Uy's identity)," Dela Rosa said.
"Alam nila na si Diana pala ay anak ni Yu Yuk Lai, sumasama pa sila pag bumibisita sa Women’s Correctional si Diane sa kanyang mother (These two policemen have known that Diana is Yu Yuk Lai's daughter, but have not reported this fact to their superiors. They even accompany her whenever she visits her mother)," the PNP chief added.
Dela Rosa said, however, that Uy may have also intentionally kept her identity a secret from her security escorts.
“There was deception on her part and because of that itong dalawang pulis na nakakaalam sa deception na ginawa ng kanilang principal ay mananagot ngayon (these two policemen will have to pay for having known about this deception),” he said.
Dela Rosa said Vidad and Sawadjaan were receiving P1,000 daily allowance from Uy on top of their salaries. Investigation on their possible involvement in Uy's alleged illegal activities is ongoing.
Earlier, PSPG director Chief Superintendent Crisostomo Garcia said Vidad and Sawadjaan were relieved from their posts and placed under the Police Holding and Accounting Unit (PHAU).
Meanwhile, Dela Rosa said he has ordered the recall of all PSPG personnel who are currently detailed to several personalities as security escorts pending the results of a review on the VIPs' backgrounds.
“Because of this experience, we will be more careful, more strict, and maniniguro kami na yung mabibigyan ng security detail ay talagang malinis na tao. Hindi involved sa krimen (We will make sure that people who are provided security escorts are not involved in criminal activities),” he said.
Garcia said around 400 policemen have been deployed as security escorts of private individuals while another 300 policemen were assigned to government officials. These men will be recalled by batches.
Garcia earlier admitted that PSPG failed to conduct a background check on Uy when she requested for security escorts in 2010. Uy and her sister were kidnapped and had to pay ransom for their release in 2006. (SunStar Philippines)