CEBU CITY—The Cebu-based ranking police officer accused of masterminding the kidnapping and murder of Filipino-Chinese trader Leah Angeles Ng was transferred to the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame but two of his alleged cohorts, also policemen based in Laguna, remained at large.
Supt. Rommel Miranda, charged with murder by the PNP-Anti Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) at the Department Justice on Feb. 24, has been relieved as deputy chief of the communications and electronic division (Comel) of the Central Visayas police and reassigned to the national headquarters of Comel, said Supt. Marcelo Garbo, regional police chief.
The order, signed by Senior Supt. Emmanuel Agpalasin, acting chief of Comel Administrative and Resource Management division and received by Garbo on Wednesday, did not indicate the reason for the transfer but it was to take effect immediately.
Garbo said Miranda left for Manila over the weekend, or days before the transfer order came, because he was instructed to report to PNP-AKG director Isagani Nerez to answer allegations that he masterminded the kidnapping and murder of Ng in Quezon City on Jan. 20.
The decomposed body of Ng was found in a septic tank in an abandoned warehouse in Laguna on Feb. 23.
Ng, who operated a lending business, was kidnapped and killed allegedly following a dispute with Miranda, who was moonlighting as her debt collector, over a P13 million collection that he wanted to keep for himself.
Miranda was tagged by arrested suspect Reginel Santiago, a former policeman who also identified two other policemen as involved in the crime—PO1 Otelio Santos Jr. and PO1 Jifford Signap, both from the San Pedro, Laguna police station.
Santiago claimed Ng was allegedly killed by Miranda following a dispute over a P13-million collection.
Garbo said Miranda, who also served as his action officer in Central Visayas, was not under his custody as earlier reported by PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz.
He said he was in Manila last week when AKG chief Nerez called him up and informed him that Miranda had been implicated in the murder case. He then called up Miranda, who was still in Cebu at that time.
Garbo quoted Miranda as saying he was ready to face the case.
When he returned to Cebu, Garbo said he no longer saw Miranda because Miranda had left for Manila.
He told Inquirer that he assumed that Miranda has reported to the PNP-AKG, although he did not know if the police officer was actually there.
Garbo said Miranda was among the people he brought in when he was assigned to Central Visayas in September last year.
He said Miranda was a good officer, adding that he did not know of any derogatory records of the police officer.
Miranda was an electrical engineer before he joined the PNP and has a Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degree.
Garbo said he has no knowledge about allegations that Miranda was moonlighting as debt collector of Ng’s lending business, as claimed by Santiago.
Policemen Santos and Signap are now considered as fugitives. “They went AWOL,” said Supt. Kirby Kraft, head of the San Pedro, Laguna police.
Santos is resident of Marikina City while Signap is from Tondo, Manila. The two officers had been assigned to the intelligence division of the San Pedro police.