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MANILA, Philippines — A former police officer who had gone absent without official leave (Awol) was arrested as anti-kidnapping police operatives served an arrest warrant against him in Baliwag, Bulacan.
Former Pat. Edwin Dimla was arrested by three teams from the Luzon Field Unit (LFU) of the Philippine National Police-Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) in Barangay Poblacion at about 9:45 a.m. on March 5.
Lt. Col. Villaflor Bannawagan, LFU acting chief, said Dimla is the fourth most wanted person in the list of kidnapping suspects of the field unit.
In an initial police report released to the media on Wednesday, Bannawagan said the suspect belongs to the notorious Randy Turla Kidnap-for-Ransom Group that has other former police officers as members and is involved in many kidnapping cases.
Bannawagan said one of the cases the group was involved in was the kidnapping of a certain Michelle Elmidio on December 1, 2015 in Angeles City, Pampanga.
Charges of kidnapping for ransom and serious illegal detention were earlier filed against members of the group.
The suspect was last assigned at the Regional Mobile Group of Central Luzon police before he had gone Awol. He was a police officer for only six months, according to Bannawagan.
Dimala refused to comment on the accusations against him.