EIGHT policemen were relieved from their posts after they were caught on video collecting money from a local carnival in barangay Busay, Cebu City.
The video, recorded by a civilian using a cellphone camera, was shown to Senior Supt. Mariano Natu-el, acting chief of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).
Natu-el refused to reveal the names of the policemen pending investigation against them.
The eight policemen were transferred from the Mobile Patrol Group to the CCPO.
In the video, the policemen were on board a patrol car when they allegedly accepted money from an carnival operator Tuesday night.
Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo, chief of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, said he will banish the eight policemen to Siquijor province.
Garbo said transferring the eight policemen to Siquijor “would make their lives miserable.”
“It doesn’t mean that Siquijor is not a good place but what I mean is the accessibility,” Garbo said.
If proven guilty, the policemen could face suspension, demotion or dismissal from service.
Chief Insp. David Señor, chief of the MPG, said the eight policemen were directed to submit their explanation to the Investigation and Detection Management Branch for a pre-charge investigation.
Señor also encouraged the man who took the video to testify to strengthen the case against the policemen./CORRESPONDENT CHITO O. ARAGON