NCRPO chief visits ‘down’ La Loma police station

By: Julliane Love De Jesus - 10 years ago

Chief Inspector Joseph de Vera of La Loma Police Station is brought by police officials to the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame. LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines—The head of Metro Manila police visited on Thursday the La Loma police station, which has become infamous as some of its men are tagged as the suspects in the robbery and abduction incident on Edsa.

TV and radio reports said Police Director Carmelo Valmoria, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, came to the police station to boost the morale of the remaining “good cops” assigned there.

Seven La Loma policemen were linked as suspects in the September 1 robbery on Edsa photographed by a motorist who uploaded it on social media.

The victims in the controversial case said the seven policemen, two of whom are commissioned officers, detained them at the station as the suspects took more than P2 million from them.

Chief Inspector Joseph de Vera and Senior Inspector Oliver Villanueva, both members of the Philippine National Police Academy (P‎NPA) Class of 2001, were the alleged masterminds of the fake police operation.

‎With Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Superintendent Richard Albano, Valmoria told the QC policemen to not let the incident affect their performance.

The NCRPO chief reiterated that these “bad eggs” are a minority in the148,000-strong police force.

Albano also told La Loma policemen who are planning to engage in illegal activities that they have no place in the QCPD.

‎The Philippine National Police (PNP) ‎has been under fire due to the recent allegations of crime to its forces. Other sectors put the blame to the leadership of PNP under Director General Alan Purisima.