Relieved cop implicated in Chinese-Filipino kidnap-slay reassigned at PNP HQ

MANILA, Philippines—The police official who was implicated in the kidnap-slay case of Chinese-Filipino trader Lea Angeles Ng has been relieved from his post at Police Regional Office 7 in Cebu City but has been reassigned at the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame pending the issuance of a warrant for his arrest.

This was the statement of PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. on the status of former National Capital Region Police Office spokesperson Superintendent Rommel Miranda. He was recently relieved from his post as deputy chief of the Communication and Electronics Service of PRO7 but has been reassigned to the same unit in Camp Crame.

Cruz said that Miranda works for the said unit while investigators await for an arrest warrant and a court order on where he would be jailed or where he may post his bail. “Kailangan nating sumunod sa proseso. Kailangan na maghintay ng warrant of arrest or summons ng court para madala at magbigay ng order kung saan siya ikukulong o magpopost ng bail (We have to follow due process. We have to wait for a warrant of arrest or court summons before we give an order where he will be detained or if he could post bail).”

He told reporters that Miranda was free to leave the national headquarters while waiting for the court to issue an arrest warrant.

Police Officers 1 Otelio Santos Jr. and Jifford Signap, who recently surrendered to authorities in Laguna for being linked to Ng’s murder, will also be brought to the national headquarters. They will face charges of kidnap for ransom with homicide, along with arrested former policeman Reginal Regidor Santiago, said Cruz.

He said that Santos and Signap should request for security detail if they were worried for their safety.

The police spokesman also said that Santiago, Santos and Signap gave similar statements on the killing of the businesswoman to authorities. Santiago in his sworn statement, identified Miranda as the mastermind, and Santos and Signap as accomplices in the crime.

Ng went missing last January 20 in Quezon City and was only found on February 23 inside a septic tank at an abandoned warehouse in San Pedro, Laguna.

Cruz said their records showed that Santiago and Miranda had both been assigned to the PNP’s Intelligence Group before.

Santiago was relieved from service after he was allegedly involved in a drug case. Cruz said that there were no more records on Santiago after 2005.

The PNP spokesman further insisted that those implicated acted on their own volition and that the crime had nothing to do with their service for the national police. “Ang nangyari ay hindi na part ng service nila sa PNP (What happened was not part of their service in the PNP).”