NCRPO director Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina
Three rookie policemen, whose offenses ranged from robbing a foreigner to letting a suspect escape detention, were dismissed from the service by the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Monday.
NCRPO director Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina ordered the removal of Jason Tiamson and Tristan Mariz Gutierrez, both ranked Police Officer 1, for robbery and extortion; and Ablason Gabriente, another PO1, for “infidelity in the custody of a prisoner.”
The three were all members of the Southern Police District.
Tiamson and Gutierrez allegedly took from Korean graphics artist Kim Byung Woo some P20,000 in cash, an Olympus camera and Rayban sunglasses on July 19, 2012.
This was after the two officers barged into the Korean’s house in Casimiro Village, Barangay (village) Pamplona 3, Las Piñas City, purportedly to check on the legality of Kim’s business dealings.
Gabriente, on the other hand, failed to secure qualified theft suspect, Jenny Lazaro, who escaped from his custody on April 27, 2009, according to the NCRPO.
Espina also ordered the suspension of six other officers, namely Senior Police Officer 2 Rolando Cartalla of the Quezon City Police District for falsification of public documents; PO3 Sancho Dichoson Jr. of the Manila Police District for violation of Republic Act No. 9262 (the law on violence against women and children); and PO1 Ryan King D. Gonzalez of the SPD, PO2 Edgardo Taguiam of the Regional Police Holding and Administrative Unit, PO1 Alejo Donguya of the Regional Public Safety Battalion, PO2 Amado Pangilinan of the SPD for being on absent without official leave (AWOL).
Meanwhile, citing lack of evidence, Espina ordered the dropping of murder charges against PO1 Marcelo Reyes, PO1 Allan Banitillo and PO2 Michael Ponce of the Northern Police District.
The NCRPO also cleared SPO2 Rommel Bautista of the SPD, PO3 Juanito Terencio Jr., and PO2 Mamelito Abella of the Eastern Police District who were earlier cited for alleged misconduct.
Espina’s latest orders raised to 73 the number of policemen he had dismissed for various offenses since taking over the NCRPO command in September last year. He had also suspended a total of 72 officers and demoted 19 others.
Espina said these actions showed that the NCRPO is committed to cleaning up its ranks. “We will not allow the misdeeds of a very few to compromise the quality of police services rendered by the majority of our cops,” he said in a statement.—Noli A. Ermitanio