THE Philippine National Police has recommended the dismissal of nine policemen, seven of whom are at large, tagged in the abduction-robbery incident on Edsa in September last year in Mandaluyong City.
Senior Superintendent Bartolome Tobias, PNP spokesperson, said the Internal Affairs Service recommended to Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina the dismissal of Quezon City policemen involved in the controversial P1.2 million heist of two motorists that went viral on social media.
This after the PNP formed a manhunt team to go after the policemen who went into hiding since the incident and issuance of warrants of arrests against them.
Five officers from La Loma police station under restrictive custody who disappeared were SPO1 Ramil Hachero, PO1 Mark de Paz, PO2 Ebonn Decatoria, PO2 Jerome Datinguinoo, and PO2 Weavin Masa.
The custodian of police officers Chief Inspector Enrico Figueroa of the Quezon City Police District has been relieved from his post.
“Magkakaroon ng accountability dito ‘yung custodian, kung mapatunayan na talagang nagkulang siya. The PNP will impose necessary penalty sa kanya,” Tobias said in a press briefing on Monday.
Senior Inspector Oliver Villanueva also disappeared after he surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group. Meanwhile, Inspector Marco Polo Estrera have not surfaced since the incident.
Estrera had been dismissed from service prior to the incident.
Of the 10 police suspects, only three – PO2 Jonathan Rodriguez, Chief Inspector Joseph de Vera and Senior Inspector Allan Emlano – are under police custody.
Considering that the suspects are PNP members, Tobias said the PNP cannot discount the possibility that policemen at large are “armed and dangerous.”
“They were marked absent without leave but days before June 3, they were still there. It’s a possibility that they have left the country since they’re not on the watchlist,” Tobias said. AC