The Philippine National Police’s Integrity Monitoring and Enforcemenbt Group said on Friday that it has arrested Major Ildefonso Miranda, police chief of Argao town in Cebu for allowing two female drug detainees to sleep in his office and his room at the police station.
In his report to PNP Chief Gen. Archie Gamboa, PNP-IMEG chief Colonel Rohald Oliver Lee, said Miranda Jr was arrested late Thursday night, March 5.
Lee said that at around 11:20 p.m. on Thursday, his team raided the Argao Municipal Station where they found Miranda sleeping in one bed with a 23-year-old detainee identified as Jean Claudia de Guzman alias Tarya Jr, in the police chief’s quarters at the station.
The PNP-IMEG said they found a photo of Miranda and a female detainee on the same bed, apparently a selfie taken by the woman.
Another drug detainee, Brenda Cutillar, 40, was found sleeping inside the office of the police chief.
“Major Miranda and De Guzman were found sleeping in one bed while the other female inmate was deep in her slumber at the police chief’s office. This won’t be tolerated,” Lee said.
The PNP-IMEG said the two women were arrested on separate occasions and detained at the Argao police station for violation of Republic Act No. 19165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Lee said allowing the women to sleep elsewhere was “in gross violation of the law and strict police procedures when it comes to keeping persons under custody.”
“The two female inmates are supposed to be locked up at the police jail, not sleeping at the room of the police station commander,” he said.
Lee added that Miranda allegedly had a "sexual relationship with the female inmate in exchange for her privilege to sleep in his air-conditioned office" and that "one female detainee was also utilized as his helper."
Lee recommended the filing of summary dismissal proceedings against Miranda to Police Regional Office 7 chief Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro.
Lee said Miranda had been placed under surveillance following reports that he allowed female detainees to stay and sleep in his office.
Lee said that after the arrest, the 46-year-old Miranda was stripped of his government-issued gun following his arrest. The arresting cops also confiscated his pistol.
Miranda faces charges for violation of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Direct Bribery, and violation of Article 156 of the Revised Penal Code which refers to the “Delivery of Prisoners from Jail,” PNP-IMEG said.
Lee said that under the law, "the penalty of arresto mayor in its maximum period to prision correccional in its minimum period shall be imposed upon any person who shall remove from any jail or penal establishment any person confined therein or shall help the escape of such person, by means of violence, intimidation, or bribery."
"If other means are used, the penalty of arresto mayor shall be imposed. If the escape of the prisoner shall take place outside of said establishments by taking the guards by surprise, the same penalties shall be imposed in their minimum period," it added.
It was the latest arrest conducted by the PNP-IMEG in line with the PNP's bid to rid its ranks of rogue cops. Last week, it arrested the chief of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Bacolod City for extortion in a sting operation inside a cockpit.
