6 Laguna cops nabbed for ‘planting evidence’ in buy-bust
SAN PEDRO CITY – Five active police officers and a former policeman “surrendered” to the authorities here after the court ordered them arrested for planting evidence during a 2015 buy-bust operation.
The suspects’ names and last assignments are as follows: Sr. Inspector Christopher Geronimo, Buenavista, Quezon; Police Officer 2 (PO2) Anthony Macario, Naic, Cavite; PO2 Rommel Laviña, regional intelligence unit; PO2 Jerickson San Francisco, Laguna police office, and PO1 Dessargues Matorres, Alaminos, Laguna.
Also arrested was Saudimar Diaz, who was already dismissed from the service prior the case.
In a phone interview Saturday, city police chief Supt. Giovannie Martinez said the suspects opted for “voluntary surrender” at the city police station on Friday afternoon.
This was after the regional trial court branch 31, here, also on Friday, issued an arrest warrant for the police officers for planting evidence and arbitrary detention of two illegal drug suspects in 2015.
Martinez said the suspects were assigned in this city when they arrested Jonathan Escudero and Benjo Mayod for illegal use and sale of “shabu” (crystal meth).
“But a cctv (security camera) footage later surfaced showing that no
buy-bust actually happened,” Martinez said.
Escudero and Mayod filed a case at the Ombudsman, which recently issued a resolution prompting the court to issue the warrant.
Martinez said the suspects agreed to surrender, after they were assured of their safety while inside the detention facility. They are detained in the city police detention cell.
