NCRPO orders relief of Drug Enforcement Unit personnel

MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has ordered the relief of all Regional Drug Enforcement Unit (RDEU) personnel after a member of its anti-drug unit was arrested for using a motorcycle that is part of the evidence in a drug bust.

“All personnel of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit, NCRPO will be relieved and reassigned to other NCRPO units. They will also be subjected to drug tests today, April 29, 2020,” read the statement on Wednesday.

The relief of policemen came after Patrolman Orlando Perez, member of NCRPO RDEU, was caught in the act of using a motorcycle that was seized during an anti-drug operation in Marikina City last April 5.

Perez reportedly did not declare the motorcycle as evidence, and instead took the vehicle home and used it as his personal motorcycle.

Perez, who was arrested at his residence in Marikina on Tuesday, is now under the custody of the Philippine National Police-Intelligence Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG).

PNP-IMEG Director Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee said Perez will also face appropriate criminal and administrative complaints.

Metro Manila police chief Major Gen. Debold Sinas said the Regional Special Operations Group and IMEG are conducting an in-depth investigation to determine if Perez has other cohorts in NCRPO-RDEU.

EDV