QCPD, CIDG operatives in businesswoman’s arrest ordered probed

Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo created an independent probe body Friday to dig into the dispute between members of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) over the alleged arrest or possibly kidnap for ransom of Marilyn Ong, a businesswoman convicted  by a Manila court of seven counts of estafa involving P5.5 million.

Robredo said he had tasked the Philippine National Police Office of Internal Security led by Senior Superintendent Wally Pornillos—with Senior Inspector Paul Cabug and Senior Inspector and lawyer Rey Villania as assistants—to investigate the dispute, which started after QCPD arrested CIDG’s subject for rescue operation on May 18 following a report from Edna Alfuerte, Ong’s business associate, that Ong had been kidnapped by “armed men” in Muntinlupa City.

The investigation, he said, was pushed to determine the alleged lapses committed by both agents from the QCPD and CIDG, and also to determine their liability in the incident which almost led to a shootout. The body is also directed to submit recommendations on corresponding disciplinary actions, if necessary, against any erring officer.

“I have directed Senior Superintendent Joel Coronel of the CIDG NCR and Chief Superintendent Mario de la Vega of the QCPD to submit for investigation their men involved in the incident, including their reports and statements relative to it,” Robredo said.

Robredo said he was informed of the case a few hours after the incident when the wife of one of the involved QCPD officers complained to him that her husband’s firearm seized by the CIDG was not returned.

The alleged operational lapses to be probed include “why the QCPD did not coordinate with the Muntinlupa PNP Station about the serving of the warrant; and their failure to bring Mrs. Ong directly to Camp Caringal for booking purposes.”

On the other hand, the lapses to be looked into on the part of CIDG-NCR is “why they failed to check that Mrs. Alfuerte, the walk-in complainant, is Ong’s co-accused and co-convict in same estafa case.”

Ong, who is also allegedly facing mail fraud, money laundering and other criminal charges before a United States court, has been temporarily placed under the custody of the QCPD’s criminal investigation and detection unit, along with Alfuerte.

Earlier reports said that around 6 p.m. of May 18, Alfuerto and lawyer Marilen Espina went to the CIDG-NCR office to report that Ong was kidnapped at gunpoint by armed men who allegedly introduced themselves as Interpol and NBI agents and who were on board a maroon Mitsubishi Adventure in Muntinlupa City.

While the CIDG agents were on their way to Quezon City, Superintendent Joel Coronel of the CIDG NCR said that Alfuerte kept on receiving text messages from Ong that the latter’s captors demand for P10 million, later raised to P20 million, in exchange for Ong’s release; and asked an open deed of sale for Ong’s Hyundai Gold Starex van.

The “armed men,” then allegedly told them to deliver the money and the deed of sale to the Uncle Moose Coffee Shop located near Teachers Village in Quezon City, where Ong was taken, instead of at Camp Caringal.

It turned out later that they were personnel of the QCPD.

Upon arriving at the place, the CIDG men tried to disarm the QCPD members including Police Officer 2 Apolonio Basit and Police Officers 1 Table, Danga and San Miguel. But they managed to get support from their colleagues led by a certain Inspector Monsalve, who claimed to be chief of the QCPD homicide section. Monsalve was backed up by at least 70 QCPD men on board police mobile patrol cars.

The CIDG men, now outnumbered, refused to be disarmed at gunpoint by the QCPD men. The incident almost resulted in a gun duel.