(Eagle News) — Police excesses and crimes are not isolated incidents, according to Senator Panfilo Lacson on Thursday, when he showed CCTV footages of cops planting drugs and stealing from their victims during an actual alleged police raid.
During a senate inquiry on “tokhang for ransom,” Lacson, chair of the senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs which is conducting the probe, showed video evidence against rogue cops.
The video footage showed the policemen in civilian clothes, planting shabu inside the drawers of employees in an office building, during the conduct of an actual police raid.
Based on the CCTV footage, the incident happened in the afternoon of October 24, 2016.
“Tingnan mo nagnanakaw pa,” said Lacson as he pointed to the video where a policeman in civilian clothes and wearing a cap was seen rummaging through office drawers.
He had a rucksack bag on the front of his body where he was taking out the shabu he was planting in the office drawers.
Before Lacson played the video, he told the Philippine National Police officers, including chief PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa, “This is not to put you on the spot, PNP.”
“But just to impress upon you na hindi isolated. Because naisip ko rin, I have in my possession CCTV video ng iba pang ginagawa ng mga pulis natin,” Lacson said during Thursday’s Senate hearing on the “tokhang for ransom” involving rogue policemen.
“Wala namang mas sasama pa sa nangyari dito sa Korean, pero just for your information and to make it on record na hindi isolated at maraming nangyayaring ganito,” he added.
Before the video on the planting of shabu by the cops was shown, Lacson first showed the video showing several policemen rushing into an office area and directing the employees to leave and go to a separate room. The time stamp on the CCTV footage was around 2:45 p.m. of October 26, 2016.
“May mauuna rito, magp-plant ng shabu and then papasok ‘yung riding party. These are police officers. Ninakawan pa ng equivalent to P7 million at nag-cough up pa ng addition P2 million,” the senator said.
The cop seen in the video planting shabu and getting money from office drawers were allegedly after the employees had already been directed to go to another room. The time stamp on the CCTV video where the policeman was seen “planting shabu” was at 3:01 in the afternoon of the same day, October 26, 2016.
Lacson advised the PNP to cleanse their ranks and strengthen their counter-intelligence operations to check erring personnel.
The senator, who was a former PNP chief, said he had also received a report from Teresita Ang See of the Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order of more victims of alleged extortion or “hulidap” activities. He said there were at least 12 other victims of “hulidap” cops.
At least two victims were still arrested and charged for illegal drugs, supposedly, although they have already paid the amount demanded by the police.
–Activities of criminal cops, noticed by PNP
He said that even the kidnap for ransom cases being done by erring cops, like SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, had been happening in the past, even before he became the PNP chief.
“There is a big possibility that these cases have been happening in the past. Some Koreans have been coming out in the open,” Dela Rosa said.
He said that last December, there were two Koreans, also in Angeles City, who were victimized by rogue cops.
“They (the Koreans) were arrested by seven policemen from Angeles city. These policemen are now charged with appropriate cases. More are coming out in the open,” he said.
–Angeles City erring cops relieved
On Wednesday, January 25, the Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) ordered the relief of Angeles City police director Senior Superintendent Sidney Villaflor for the alleged involvement of seven of his cops in the robbery and extortion of two Koreans in a subdivision in the city on December 30, 2016.
The 7 policemen from Angeles City police station 5 who were relieved last January 6 and 7 were the following: PO3 Arnold Nagayo, PO3 Roentjen Domingo, PO2 Richard King Agapito, PO2 Ruben Rodriguez, PO3 Gomerson Evangelista, PO1 Jayson Ibe, and PO1 Mark Joseph Pineda.
The station 5 commander of Angeles City, Chief Inspector Wendel Arinas, and his deputy commander, Senior Inspector Rolando Yutuc, had also been relieved on the same day.
The Koreans were nabbed in Friendship Plaza Subdivision, the same subdivision where slain Korean businessman Jee Ick-Joo was abducted by policemen allegedly headed by SPO3 Sta. Isabel, supposedly under the direction of his immediate superior, Supt. Rafael Dumlao. Both however claimed they were not involved in the case, even as witnesses had pointed to their involvement. Sta. Isabel had also pointed to his superior, Supt. Dumlao as the mastermind for the abduction and killing of Jee Ick-Joo. Both Dumlao and Sta. Isabel were under the PNP Anti-Illegal Drugs Group.