THE police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges against two police officers who were sacked for allowing detained Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. to attend the 91st birthday of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, his co-accused in thee plunder case over the pork barrel scam.
In a manifestation filed to the antigraft court First Division, the Philippine National Police (PNP) officer in charge Leonardo Espina said the CIDG found liable Senior Inspector Celina Tapaoan, officer of the police Headquarters Support Service (HSS), and Superintendent Eulogio Fabro, chief of the HSS Custodial Security Unit.
The CIDG recommended the filing of criminal charges against them for violating the Revised Penal Code when they gave false testimonies, as well as administrative cases for grave misconduct in violation of the police HSS manual of operations.
According to the report of the CIDG furnished to the court, Tapaoan and Fabro “seemed to have connived in facilitating the visit of Senator Revilla to Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.”
Tapaoan and Fabro said in their sworn affidavits that they coordinated with hospital authorities in bringing Revilla to the PNP General Hospital for check-up supposedly due to dizziness and hypertension.
But Santos, who attended to Revilla, said in his affidavit that the hospital did not receive any calls from Tapaoan despite the latter’s sworn statement that she made the call.
Santos also claimed that Tapaoan and Fabro requested from him to state in his report that they called the hospital to bring Revilla for a check-up. They also asked for Santos to report that he was the one who told them to bring the senator to the hospital.
“Fabro and Tapaoan seemed to have connived to facilitate the visit of accused Senator Revilla to Senator Enrile and tried to cover it up by requesting the attending physician Santos to change his statement,” Espina’s manifestation read.
Espina also said Revilla’s visit, which drew criticisms against the police for granting special treatment to a high-profile detainee, is an isolated incident “and was committed by two PNP personnel who acted on their own volition and is not the act of the PNP organization.”
“The PNP assures the public that there is no VIP treatment given to detainees at the Custodial Center and will not countenance such transgression in the future,” Espina said.
The police conducted the investigation of its own peers after the Philippine Daily Inquirer published photos of the supposed visit of Revilla to Enrile’s hospital detention room on Feb. 14. Co-accused Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada also admitted to having visited Enrile, too, after his check-up that day.
PNP spokesperson Generoso Cerbo had said the meeting with Enrile was only accidental.
The photos were furnished by the prosecutor in its motion asking the court to transfer Revilla to an ordinary detention facility because of his perks in the PNP Custodial Center where he is detained with Estrada.
The CIDG, meanwhile, cleared from any liability the following officials: Chief Superintendent Alberto Supapo, Chief Inspector Duds Raymond Santos, PO2 Mario Bello, PO2 Rico Padilla, PO2 Dennis Delos Santos, and PO1 Joelito Olayvar. HSS head Supapo was relieved of his post following the incident. AC