Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 17) — Three policemen from the Manila Police District (MPD) allegedly involved in robbery and extortion at a computer shop in the city surrendered to authorities on Monday.
According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), the three cops who surrendered to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission are part of a group of five policemen seen on security camera footage robbing a computer shop in Barangay 525 in Sampaloc, Manila on the night of July 11.
The PNP said the group forcibly entered the shop and then introduced themselves as police officers conducting an operation against illegal gambling.
The five allegedly accused the 73-year-old owner of the shop of involvement in an illegal gambling den before they took the shop’s earnings amounting to ₱44,000.
The PNP said the policemen had no search warrant and were not in uniform.
The suspects also allegedly demanded from the shop owner weekly “protection money” worth ₱4,000.
PNP chief PGen Benjamin Acorda Jr. earlier ordered police units to assist the MPD in tracking down the five cops.In a press briefing on Monday at Camp Crame in Quezon City, PNP spokesperson PCol Jean Fajardo said Acorda is expecting that the five MPD policemen would be accounted for within the week, especially since the MPD leadership declared them as absent without official leave.
“Our chief PNP has already instructed the Intelligence Group (IG) and the IMEG (Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group) to help in the conduct of the manhunt operation against these five policemen,” said Fajardo.
“Hopefully, there would be positive results this week and the District Director of MPD, PBGen Andre Dizon, is also confident that with the help of the IG and IMEG, they would be able to get them,” she added.All five cops are from the MPD Police Intelligence Operations Unit. Fajardo said they are facing criminal and administrative charges.
“Kung natatandaan niyo yung sinabi ng Chief PNP before, for those PNP personnel who will be reported involved in any illegal drug activities, hindi lamang sila ang iimbestigahan, pati na rin yung kanilang team leader, yung immediate supervisor up to the station commanders. Kung may makikita na failure on the part of their chief of police ay magkakaroon ng sanction ito under the doctrine of command responsibility,” she explained.
[Translation: It can be recalled that the Chief PNP said personnel reported to be involved in any illegal drug activities will be investigated along with their team leader, immediate supervisor, all the way up to the station commanders. If failure on the part of the chief of police is determined, there will be sanctions under the doctrine of command responsibility.]She added that the MPD also sent personnel to provide security for the victim.The policemen’s involvement in the incident also resulted in the relief of around 50 cops assigned to the unit, including its head.The two other cops implicated in the crime are still in hiding.
