8 policemen face robbery raps in Pampanga

EIGHT policemen face robbery charges after allegedly victimizing seven Chinese and a Filipina in Angeles Pampanga, the Philippine National Police (PNP)- Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said Wednesday.

In a statement, CIDG director MGen. Albert Ignatius Ferro said the suspects, Maj. Ferdinand Mendoza, SSergeants Mark Anthony Reyes Iral and Sanny Ric Alicante; Corporals Richmond Francia, John Gervic Fajardo and Kenneth Rheiner Ferrer Delfin, and Patrolmen Leonardo Veloso Mangales and Hermogines Rosario Jrwere are all assigned with the CIDG’s Anti-Organized Crime Crime (AOCU).

Ferro said the suspects are also facing extortion and illegal detention, on top of the administrative charges.

He also said that the CIDG will not condone the wrongdoing of its personnel, adding that the involvement of the eight policemen in such a crime was an “isolated case.”

“(The CIDG) will not tolerate misdeeds of its uniformed personnel. This is a semblance of what we call ICU, inept, corrupt and undisciplined police personnel…We cannot allow this incident to tarnish the good performance, credibility established by the CIDG,” Ferro said.

In a report reaching Camp Crame, CIDG regional field unit (RFU) 3 conducted an operation after receiving a report around 1 a.m. Wednesday about an ongoing robbery in a residential area in Diamond Subdivision, Barangay Balibago, Angeles City, perpetrated by a group of armed men in civilian clothes who identified themselves as CIDG personnel.

Upon the arrival of responding policemen in the area, they cornered the suspects who claimed they were conducting a buy-bust operation.

“In the course of investigation, it was later learned that the suspects held the seven male Chinese and 1 Filipino house servant. It was also observed that all of the things inside the said premises were in disarray. Twelve computers [that were] set up similar to POGO operations were noticed in the living room,” the RFU said in its report. POGO is Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations.

“The team leader claimed that they were conducting a buy bust operation of firearms in the said place. However, it was later found to be untrue. When their vehicles were checked, assorted belongings of the Chinese were found therein, including cash money amounting to more or less P300, 000 and US dollar bills,” it added.

“During the inquiry with the suspects, it was later learned that they were members of the PNP-CIDG assigned to the AOCU,” it said.