Eleazar to rogue cop: ‘Sorry, not sorry’

Police Corporal Marlo Sibalo Quibete (right) gets an earful from Major General Guillermo Eleazar, NCRPO chief, after the former was arrested for allegedly extorting money from the live-in partner of an arrested drug suspect. NCRPO PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Major General Guillermo Eleazar won’t apologize to a policeman he publicly berated after being arrested for a robbery-extortion case.

“Dinuro-duro ko talaga at hindi po ako magsosorry sa mga iyan. Hindi po ako magsosorry sa mga tarantadong pulis,” he said in an interview with dzBB.

(I pointed a finger at him but I won’t say sorry to them. I won’t say sorry to erring police officers.)

“Humihingi ako ng paumanhin sa taumbayan sa outrage na naipakita ko, pero tao lang po at bilang ama ng NCRPO ay talaga namang sinong hindi magngingitnit sa katarantaduhang ginagawa ng mga iyan?” he said.

(I apologize to the public for the outrage I showed, but I am just a person and as the father of NCRPO, who will not be angered for the stupidity they did?)

Corporal Marlo Siblao Quibete, stationed at the Drug Enforcement Unit of the Eastern Police District, was arrested in Pasig City on Tuesday night for allegedly receiving P20,000 in marked cash form a woman in exchange for dropping drug charges against her live-in partner.

READ: EPD drug unit relieved after cop arrested for extortion

Right after his arrest, Eleazar confronted Quibete at the nearby Marikina City Police Station, and reportedly rained expletives at him.

But Eleazar denied hurting the policeman, as claimed by some media reports.

READ: Eleazar denies slapping, pulling hair of cop arrested for extortion

“‘Yung dinuro, siguro dinuro. Pero ‘yung sinampal, hindi ko sinampal. Sinabunutan, hindi ko sinabunutan. Dinibdiban, hindi. Pero kinwelyohan ko, tiningala ko ang mukha at dinuro ko. Dapat lang. He deserves that,” he earlier said.

(I pointed a finger at him, yes. But I did not slap him. I did not pull his hair. I did not punch his chest. But I grabbed him by his shirt’s collar. I lifted his face and I pointed a finger at him. It’s just right. He deserves that.)

Eleazar said that he was saddened by the arrest of the suspect, even as the top leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) repeatedly warns police officers against engaging in illegal activities.

He said that the PNP has internal cleansing program in place for erring police officers.

“Pero aside from that kasi dapat may katakutan din eh. Kasi alam niyo itong pulis, tayo ang pinagtitiwalaan, tayo ang nag-iimplement ng batas, kaya ang worst na mangyari ‘yung betrayal na ‘yung tayo mismo ang gumagawa niyan,” he said.

(But aside from that, they should fear something. Because you know, the police are the ones the people trust, we implement the law, that’s why betrayal is worst if we ourselves will do it.) /cbb