5 cops deny involvement in Edsa ‘hulidap’

SOCIAL MEDIA TRUMP ROGUE COPS This photo of armed men brandishing weapons as they stop a sport utility vehicle right on Edsa in broad daylight went viral on social media—and produced results. TWITTER PHOTO

MANILA—Five members of the La Loma police station in Quezon City who surrendered on Thursday denied they were involved in a Sept. 1 robbery and abduction on Epifanio delos Santos Avenue that was caught in a photograph that went viral in social media.

“We can prove that we did not commit the allegations against us,” said one of the policemen, who was designated by his colleagues to speak for the group.

The policeman consented to a short interview with reporters on the condition he would not be identified.

SPO1 Ramil Hachero, Police Officers 2 Mark de Paz, Ebonn Decatoria, Jerome Datinguinoo and Weavin Masa were accompanied by their lawyer when fetched by the QCPD tracker team on Thursday.

The five were among the eight policemen identified by La Loma station deputy commander Chief Insp. Joseph de Vera as his accomplices in the holdup when he was arrested.

PO2 Jonathan Rodriguez, who was among those named,  later implicated Senior Insp. Allan Emlano of the Northern Police District.

De Vera and Rodriguez are detained by the Mandaluyong police while Emlano is held at the National Capital Region Police Office.

Authorities are still tracking the whereabouts of Senior Insp. Oliver Villanueva and former Insp. Marco Polo Estrera.

“I hope they will stop dragging our names,” one of the five policemen said.

“Because we have families who are getting distressed. Our wives and children are worried and upset,” the group’s representative said. His voice broke and he got teary eyed at that point.

Their lawyer, Ricardo Valmonte, maintained that the five did not surrender but reported for duty to avoid being declared AWOL (absent without official leave).

“I objected when the police said they will be arrested because the incident happened several days ago,” Valmonte said in a phone interview. “They don’t have a warrant of arrest and cases are already filed. We will just answer the cases filed. We will file a counter-affidavit.”

The five are currently in restricted custody of the District Headquarters Service Unit at the QCPD headquarters in Camp Karingal.

“They are on-duty status with restricted movements; they cannot leave the camp,” said Supt. Arnold Santiago, the service unit’s chief. “They prefer to stay at the camp for the time being. They said they feel safer here.”

According to Santiago, one of the five said his wife is a hospital director and a security footage would prove that he was in the hospital to fetch her on the day of the Edsa robbery.