The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said on Tuesday that it would file formal complaints against two policemen found to be illegally moonlighting as escorts for a Korean national after one of them sideswiped a taxi cab.
At the same time, NCRPO chief, Director Guillermo Eleazar, announced an investigation into allegations that some travel agencies were offering police escorts to foreigners who wanted to avoid being caught in heavy traffic.
“We received information that motorcycle riders trained by the Philippine National Police are part of advertisements promoting local destinations,” Eleazar said in an interview.
The two policemen, however, were not hired by one of these travel agencies, he added.
According to Eleazar, PO2 Jay Templonuevo and PO2 Ralp Tumanguil, stationed at Parañaque City Police Community Precinct 7 and NCRPO, respectively, were hired by a retired officer who acts as a middleman between unauthorized police escorts and tourists.
The pair was escorting the Korean businessman and his companions on Friday from a hotel in Parañaque City to the Subic Air Hangar in Pasay City when Tumanguil’s motorcycle hit a taxi cab and broke off its side mirror.
The incident was captured by cab driver Joseph Barreno on his dashboard camera.
At the video’s 30-second mark, sirens can be heard in the distance as he drives on Andrews Avenue. The policemen who are driving separate motorcycles are shown shortly.
Although the ramming of the cab was not seen in the video, an audible thud could be heard in the background followed by Tumanguil’s appearance.
The two policemen, however, did not stop and entered the gate of the hangar followed by four black vans.
“It’s like they see taxi drivers as being beneath them,” Barreno told reporters on Tuesday. “Like they’re so high and mighty.”
Eleazar said that both policemen admitted in a sworn statement that they acted as unauthorized escorts although they denied being paid for their services.
This meant the NCRPO could file only administrative cases of grave misconduct for escorting against them, rather than graft and corruption.
If found liable, the two could face a maximum two-month suspension. Tumanguil would also be slapped with an administrative case of malicious mischief for damaging the cab.