Relieved Caloocan police chief Senior Supt. Bartolome Bustamante has asked the Philippine National Police to expedite its probe into allegations that he withheld part of the P1,500 allowance for his men who performed election-related duties.
Bustamante was ordered relieved on Monday in an order by PNP Personnel and Records Management Director Dominador Aquino and Deputy Director General Francisco Uyami, head of the PNP Directorial Staff. He was assigned to the Administrative Holding Unit at Camp Crame, and was replaced by Supt. Ferdinand del Rosario in an acting capacity.
Last week, a text message supposedly from a rookie Caloocan policeman started spreading, asking ranking police officials and presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to investigate Bustamante. The text sender claimed that the Caloocan police chief released just P800 of the P1,500 allowance for 1,251 policemen deployed in the city during the elections.
In his defense, Bustamante said the PNP released the funds for the P1,500 allowance on a piecemeal basis—on April 28, May 4 and 13.
“I can only disburse money when it is released. I have never gotten hold of any money. I just directed the distribution of funds,” he said.
Bustamante’s superior, Northern Police District director Chief Supt. Eric Reyes said his relief was a command decision. “We can be reassigned anytime or ordered relieved. It just so happens that during the time Bustamante was ordered moved, there was an existing allegation against him.”
“I wish that my name will be cleared. I have been in service for 27 years without any report of corruption,” Bustamante said.