Metro Manila police director Guillermo Eleazar on Wednesday ordered the relief of commanders of Eastern Police District and Pasay City Police Station after officers from their drug enforcement units were arrested for kidnapping and extortion.
EPD director C/Supt. Bernabe Balba and Pasay Police Chief S/Supt. Noel Flores were relieved because of their command responsibility upon the instruction of Philippine National Police director Oscar Albayalde, Eleazar said.
The entire force of EPD District Drug Enforcement Unit composed of 15 personnel and all 27 members of the Pasay station drug enforcement team were also relieved and are now being investigated to determine if they were also engaged in illegal activities.
Earlier, police arrested PO2 Marlo Siblao Quibete for robbery extortion and P/Cpl. Anwar Encarnacion Nasser for kidnap-for-ransom and extortion.
Quibete was caught red handed accepting the marked money from the complainant during an entrapment conducted by agents of the Metro Manila Special Operations Unit in front of a fastfood restaurant on Evangelista and Dela Paz streets in Barangay Santolan, Pasig City at about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Eleazar castigated Quibete during a press briefing at the NCRPO headquarters im Taguig City.
Nazzer, on the other hand, was arrested by members of the Counter Intelligence Task Force insIde the SDET office of Pasay City Police Station around 4:15 a.m. Wednesday. He allegedly demanded P100,000 from the live-in partner of an arrested drug suspect in exchange for his release.
Initial investigation showed that the drug suspect arrested had been detained without a police blotter entry or and arrest record. He was released after the entrapment operation against Nazzer.
Three other police officers who were allegedly in cahoots with Nasser evaded arrest.
“The NCRPO does not tolerate any wrongdoings of our personnel. If proven guilty over their alleged misconduct, they have to face the consequences or be dismissed from the PNP service,” said Eleazar.
Both Quibete and Nazzer are in police custody and will be criminally charged by the Department of Justice. The two policemen will also face administrative sactions.
The 15 relieved EPD-DDEU officers were Major Allan Miparanum; Police Master Sgts. Alex Recio and Ryan Escorial; Police Staff Sgts. Arnel Parado, Rommel Moises, Dennis Singuillo, and Frederick Nervar Jr., Police Corporals Marlo Quibete and Arnel Parado; and patrolmen Reynold Orillo, Maricris Doong, Charles Anthony Quinto, John Patrick Deguzman, Arlon Hernandez and Marisa April Piga.
The 27 relieved Pasay Police-SDET personnel were P/Lt. Ronaldo Frades; Police Master Sgts. Victor Abalos Jr. and Marlon Bongalon; Police Staff Sgts. Carlo Sison, Nathaniel Garcia and Rigor Octaviano; Police Corporals Monsier Navarro, Rodel Lalirmamo, Frangie Furton and Nazzer; and Patrolmen Dennis Orola, Anthony Fernandez, James Paul Callo, John Mark Cruz, Rad Dranto, Clyde Tabulog, John Maynard Tolentino, Lore John Nicholas, Jess Dulnuan, Christian Villanueva, Joel Jann Magallaness and Jay-ar Orquino.
Also sacked were SDET investigators Jay Martinez, John Vernal Barraza and Jerry Hernandez and jailers John Christopher Lim and Edwin Hamor.
Eleazar said the PNP is serious about the Internal Cleansing Policy spearheaded by police director Oscar Albayalde.
“We all know that there are policemen involved in illegal activities and that is why the PNP is conducting internal cleansing to get rid of scalawags in uniform,” Eleazar said.
He said the recent action was a warning to other erring policemen.
READ: PNP officer nabbed for extortion