PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar. Screenshot from Facebook / PNP livestream
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday said the policeman earlier arrested for the alleged kidnapping of a drug suspect in Manila is now also facing dismissal from the police service and administrative charges.
A report from the Manila Police District’s (MPD) Ermita Police Station (PS-5) released on Saturday identified the suspect as Patrolman Wilfredo Mindanao, currently assigned at the Police Security Protection Group, and his cohort who was identified as a certain Romeo Aday.
Initial police investigation showed that at about 6:30 a.m. on Friday, Aday approached victim Jovito Abejo who was then under the Trece De Agosto Bridge, introduced himself as a member of the National Bureau of Investigation, and said he saw Abejo holding a sachet of suspected shabu.
“Thereafter, victim was brought by the suspects to their abode (residence) and extorted money in exchange of his liberty,” the police report read.
According to the Ermita police, a vendor reported the alleged kidnapping to the Paz Police Community Precinct (PCP) at about 8 a.m. and said the suspects were demanding P50,000 for Abejo’s liberty. The vendor’s relationship with the victim was not immediately identified.
Upon receiving the report, police officers from the Paz PCP proceeded to Paco where the victim was being detained and arrested the suspects. Police confiscated a plastic sachet that contains around one gram of suspected shabu and three cell phones.
The victim and the suspects were then brought to the Ermita Police Station for documentation.
Complaints for Alleged Serious Illegal Detention (Kidnapping), Usurpation of Authority, and Violation of Section 11 Article Il of Republic Act No. 9165 were readied against the arrested suspects.
“Apart from the filing of criminal complaints of serious illegal detention and usurpation of authority in the Manila Prosecutor’s Office against the suspects, I have instructed the IAS (Internal Affairs Service) to initiate summary dismissal proceedings against Mindanao,” said PGen. Guillermo Eleazar in a statement.
“We cannot allow these few rogues in the service to destroy the public’s confidence [in] the PNP now that we have made strides in regaining our kababayan’s trust,” said Eleazar.
“I am warning those policemen who will continue to undermine our mandate and erode the institution, you will be caught and made to face the consequences of your wrongful actions,” Eleazar added.
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