A 41-year-old man posing as a policeman was arrested in barangay Sabang, Danao City, northern Cebu.
A charge of usurpation of authority was filed against Remil Giamal before the Danao City Prosecutors’ Office yesterday.
Police went to barangay Sabang to arrest Giamal after his female business partner complained that he refused to pay the P50,000 that he borrowed from her.
Maria Fe Amistoso, who is engaged in the sand and gravel business, told police that Giambal introduced himself as a policeman.
During the arrest, a Philippine National Police (PNP) identification (ID) card with Giamal’s photo on it was recovered from his possession.
Presented yesterday at the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) headquarters, Giamal said he is into buying and selling of fighting cocks for about 12 years and owns a cockpit and a gamefowl farm in Sagay City, Negros Occidental.
Insp. Ricky Delilis, chief of the Danao City police, recounted that Giamal was the same person who went to the city’s police precinct and introduced himself as a police official with the rank of superintendent.
Delilis said Giamal told him he belonged to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) batch 1993.
“I even saluted him (Giamal) knowing that he is my senior (class),” said Delilis.
Delilis said a check at the PNP showed that Giamal is not a member of the PNP.
“Maybe he (Giamal) was trying to use his rank just to protect his interest (business),” said Delilis.
“We are informing the public of this threat of swindling by using the name of the PNP,” said Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, chief of the Cebu provincial police.
Giamal said the fake PNP ID was just given to him by a friend named Esmelito Patricio whom he said was a police official assigned in Camp Crame.
Giamal said Patricio gave the ID to him as payment for more than 20 fighting cocks that Patricio failed to pay.
“After this, I am planning to file a case against Patricio.” said Giamal in Cebuano.
Delilis said he didn’t know a police official named Patricio.
Giamal said he didn’t use the PNP ID and just kept it in his wallet though he admitted that he introduced himself as a police official.
Giamal said that his photo wearing a police uniform on his PNP ID was “edited”./REPORTER RHEA RUTH V. ROSELL