NPD cop in Manila robbery faced car theft raps–but still got promoted

The member of the Northern Police District who was arrested in Manila on April 22 for allegedly robbing a couple was charged with car theft seven months earlier, but he managed to remain in the service and even got promoted.

“Actually, people here at the NPD were not so surprised when they heard he was arrested again,” district director Chief Supt. Edgar Layon told the Inquirer, referring to PO2 Angel Nabor. “They know this guy has a criminal history.”

According to Layon, Nabor was also arrested last year when he was caught driving a stolen vehicle with his father-in-law, Roberto Relayo Jr., as passenger.

“He was arrested in October at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, where policemen saw him driving a Toyota Hilux,” added Senior Insp. Arce Yam-Oc, chief of the NPD’s Investigation and Detective Management Service.

Nabor, 27, was then a Police Officer 1 assigned to the NPD’s District Headquarters Support Unit. He and Relayo were charged with car theft and were able to post bail, Yam-Oc recalled.

No word from EPD

An administrative charge for grave misconduct was also filed against Nabor, which Yam-Oc said was “raffled off to the Eastern Police District, which conducts the summary hearing.”

“But so far, we haven’t heard from them (EPD) about the status of his case,” Yam-Oc said.

Layon said he would be asking for an update on Nabor’s first administrative case, which he said should have already led to Nabor’s dismissal from the service.

“It’s been seven months since the (car theft) case happened. Investigators are supposed to issue a resolution on an administrative complaint two months after they receive it. I would have pressed hard for an immediate resolution of the case, but we are not handling it,” he said.

Nabor was able to return to active duty at the NPD, where his primary task was to provide security at the district headquarters on Tanigue Street, Caloocan City.

As to why Nabor still got promoted to PO2, Layon offered an explanation: “Apparently, he had submitted his application for promotion before he was arrested for driving the stolen car.

“His promotion would have been impossible if he applied for it after he got arrested. Candidates for promotion are thoroughly screened and officials would have seen his case if he submitted his promotion application after he was arrested,” he added.

Second arrest

Layon and Yam-Oc said Nabor’s second arrest last week should finally seal his fate and lead to his dismissal.

Nabor was charged in the Manila Regional Trial Court on April 28 for robbery and illegal possession of firearms.

According to the complaint, in the afternoon of April 22, a motorbike-riding Nabor tried to steal a bag containing P900,000 in cash and jewelry from businessman Apolinario Ylagan and wife Guillerma, whose vehicle was forced to pull over on Roxas Boulevard in Manila.

Thwarted by SPD man

But an officer from the Southern Police District, who was passing through the boulevard also on a motorbike, saw the commotion, drew his gun and prevented Nabor from fleeing.

Nabor was later placed under arrest by a team from the Manila Police District. He allegedly had two cohorts, including another policeman who flagged down the Ylagans’ vehicle, but they managed to escape on separate motorcycles when the SPD’s Dennis de la Peña arrived.

As of Friday, Nabor has yet to post bail which was set at P100,000, and remained in detention at the MPD’s Malate station.