IS honesty still the best policy?
Last month, personnel of the Mabolo Police Station found themselves in a situation where they had to prove the statement true after their integrity was tested by a fellow policeman.
For refusing a P50,000 bribe from retired SPO3 Antonio Tabug, the station received yesterday a P30,000 cash reward from Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
The mayor also said he will give a separate P50,000 cash reward to SPO1 Alan Caumeran for reporting the alleged bribery to his station commander, Chief Insp. Clark Arriola.
Caumeran’s reward will be given to him during the City Charter Day celebration on Feb. 24.
“This will show that we recognize and respect those who help us in our thrust in peace and order,” Osmeña told reporters.
The mayor earlier posted on his official Facebook page that the amount will be taken from his personal fund.
In a post dated Jan. 28, Osmeña said he will contribute P20,000, two roasted pigs and unlimited beer for a gathering for the personnel of the police station at the time of their choosing.
“(I’m) proud to have honest police like them,” he added.
The reward came as a surprise for Arriola and his colleagues.
Arriola said that what they did was part of their job as public servants and law enforcers.
“Wala mi nag-expect, at the same time wa mi naghuna-huna og (we weren’t thinking about getting a) reward na mahitabo because this is part of the job of the police officers,” he said.
Last Jan. 25, Arriola’s men arrested Tabug’s colleagues.
Since then, the retired cop has become a common sight in the police station, chatting with policemen on duty.
The station commander later received a report that Tabug offered P50,000 for the release of his friend, a certain Rosell Paculaba, who was detained.
Last Jan. 28, operatives led by Arriola conducted an entrapment operation against Tabug.
The retired cop handed the money to covert operatives, who then declared that it was a foiled bribery.
The suspect was arrested along with his companion, and a total of four medium packs of suspected shabu were recovered from them during the body search.