The Eastern Police District established that Senior Insp. Oliver Villanueva was the owner of the black Toyota Fortuner photographed in the Edsa robbery incident on Sept 1. Villanueva is apparently the richest among his implicated colleagues in the La Loma police station. The photo of the alleged incident posted on Twitter.
MANILA, Philippines–The police officer tagged as the mastermind of the high-profile robbery and abduction on Edsa in Mandaluyong City on Sept. 1 is apparently the richest among his implicated colleagues in the La Loma police station.
Senior Insp. Oliver Villanueva, head of the investigation and intelligence branch of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Station 1 based in La Loma, declared a net worth of P7.3 million for 2010, P6.6 million for 2012 and P6.5 million for 2013, according to his data sheet from the QCPD human resources division.
Villanueva declared assets worth P9.7 million for 2010, P10.1 million for 2012 and P8.1 million last year.
He reported a gross income of P455,841 for 2010 and P605,133 for 2012.
Villanueva is one of seven police officers still being tracked down in connection with the abduction and robbery incident, in which armed men, most of whom turned out to be policemen from the La Loma station, were photographed accosting passengers of a vehicle on Edsa in Barangay (village) Wack-Wack.
Lifestyle check
His assets are bigger than those of a higher-ranking colleague already arrested and charged for the Edsa abduction, La Loma station deputy commander Chief Insp. Joseph de Vera.
De Vera declared only P420,000 in assets in 2010, with P297,889.82 in gross income.
The QCPD spokesman, Senior Insp. Maricar Taqueban, said the QCPD head, Director Richard Albano, had ordered a “lifestyle check” on the policemen implicated in the Edsa abduction.
But to date, the QCPD has not determined Villanueva’s other sources of income, or what his assets are.
Big jump
Also declaring millions in assets was another policeman from the La Loma station, PO2 Ebonn Decatoria, 40.
Decatoria declared P6.6 million in assets and a net worth of P4.9 million in 2013—a big jump from his declared assets from 2008 to 2010, around P1.4 million and a net worth of between P900,000 and P1.1 million.
The photo of the Edsa abduction went viral after a motorist posted it on Twitter, prompting the Eastern Police District (EPD) to launch an investigation.
The EPD found that the policemen had accosted and detained two employees of an engineer-contractor, who were on their way to buy heavy equipment with P2 million. The victims also claimed their ATM cards were seized by the policemen, who allegedly withdrew a total of P119,000.
The EPD was able to trace the vehicles used by the armed men through the photograph posted online. The Toyota Commuter van was traced to De Vera, while another to dismissed police Insp. Marco Polo Estrera.
List
When De Vera was arrested at the La Loma station by the EPD on Sunday, he admitted his involvement but claimed it was a legitimate antinarcotics operation.
De Vera drew up a list of his accomplices, who included Villanueva and Estrera, his classmates from the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Class of 2001.
The EPD established that Villanueva was the owner of the black Toyota Fortuner photographed in the incident, and Estrera, the Honda Civic.
De Vera identified his other accomplices as La Loma station detectives SPO1 Ramil Hachero, PO2 Mark de Paz, Decatoria, PO2 Jerome Datinguinoo and PO2 Weavin Masa, all of whom are still at large.
Hachero was the man in green in the viral photo, while the rest “guarded” the victims when they were detained for seven hours at the La Loma station, the EPD earlier reported.
One of the identified suspects, PO2 Jonathan Rodriguez, was formerly assigned to the La Loma station, but was reassigned to the Quezon City District Public Safety Battalion in July.
Rodriguez was arrested on Monday when he reported for duty. He claimed it was Villanueva who brought him along for the operation on the afternoon of Sept. 1. Rodriguez said Villanueva told him it was an anti-illegal drugs operation.
The EPD said Rodriguez was in Villanueva’s car during the incident.
Mastermind
Based on statements by both De Vera and Rodriguez, the EPD identified Villanueva as the mastermind.
De Vera and Rodriguez have been charged with highway robbery and kidnapping with serious illegal detention at the Mandaluyong City Prosecutor’s Office.
Rodriguez implicated another policeman, Senior Insp. Allan Emlano, allegedly the person who commandeered the victims’ Fortuner in the abduction.
Emlano surrendered to the La Loma police before dawn on Wednesday, denying his involvement in the crime. Emlano also belonged to the PNPA Class of 2001.
“I don’t even know about that incident. I was surprised. I was suddenly implicated as the driver of the Fortuner. I don’t even know how to drive,” Emlano told reporters, when he was brought to the QCPD headquarters at Camp Karingal in Sikatuna Village.
Emlano said he decided to surrender because he was willing to be investigated. As of Wednesday afternoon, he was detained at the QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit.
Taqueban said Emlano was on “floating status” due to an administrative case. Emlano was usually at the La Loma station to ask for financial support from his “mistah” (classmates), Taqueban said.
Emlano said that at the time of the abduction, he was busy preparing papers in Malabon City regarding his administrative case.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Emlano was referred back to his current assignment, the National Capital Region Police Office Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit, to face a pending administrative complaint.
As of 4:30 p.m., a criminal complaint was still being readied against Emlano by the EPD.
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