Holy Week ‘cleansing’ in PNP: 21 sacked

Heads are rolling in the Philippine National Police in this season of penance and cleansing.

The head of the Muntinlupa City police was sacked after he and his men were caught flat-footed by another government agency that conducted an anti-“jueteng” operation in their jurisdiction.

Senior Supt. Ramiro Bausa was added to the 20 PNP officers who were relieved of their posts this week either for incompetence or alleged involvement in various irregularities.

Supt. Jenny Tecson, spokesperson of the Southern Police District, said Bausa was relieved after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided a house that allegedly hosted regular jueteng draws in Muntinlupa.

“In line with the PNP’s one-strike policy against illegal gambling and drugs, Bausa had to be administratively relieved of his post,” Tecson told the Inquirer on Tuesday.

Supt. Porfirio Calagan, the city police’s deputy chief for administration, was named officer-in-charge.

Bausa lost his position two weeks after NBI agents raided a house on Pritil Street, Barangay Putatan, and arrested 16 people for their involvement in the illegal numbers game.

Twenty other PNP officers and personnel under the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) were sacked on Monday due to alleged involvement in irregularities and illegal activities.

PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome had them placed on “floating status” pending a full investigation by the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM).

“My instruction to DIDM is to throw the book at these deviant police officers,” Bartolome said in a statement. “But first, they must be removed from the environment where they committed the alleged infraction in order for them not to unduly influence the investigation.”

The most senior of those relieved was Senior Supt. Rhodel Sermonia, chief of the CIDG Task Force Maverick, who became the subject of a complaint by party-list Rep. Arnel Ty for obstruction of justice, unjust vexation and violation of the code of conduct and ethical standards for public servants.

Supt. Honorio Agnila was also relieved as OIC of the Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Division, while Chief Insp. Ruben Lacuesta lost his post as chief of the Southern Metro Manila Criminal Investigation and Detection Team.

Also relieved were their team members Chief Insp. Renato Ocampo, Chief Insp. Bienvenido Reydado, Senior Police Officers (SPO) 2 Rene de Leon and Jose Yong, SPO1s Rizaldy dela Cruz, Alejandro Abrogar Jr. and Veronica Villareal; PO3 Noel Bunal, Joaquin Rafael Florendo and William Geneblazo; PO2 Percival Villaluz and PO1 Rolando Blones.

The PNP said Agnila and his men were accused of robbery, extortion and abduction by a Singaporean investor and two Taiwanese businessmen. Lacuesta and his men were charged with infidelity in the custody of prisoners over the escape of Korean fugitive Kom Sung.

Bartolome also ordered the relief of the deputy chief of CIDG-Eastern Visayas, Chief Insp. Bernardo Lao, along with four of his men, namely SPO1 Alejo Lucero, PO2 Jun Oliva, PO1 Tata Villamor and Bobot Castelo.

Lao and his team were implicated by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in illegal activities in Ormoc City.  Nathaniel R. Melican and Dona Z. Pazzibugan