FILE – PNP Chief Ronald De La Rosa. EDWIN BACASMAS
The police officer from Rizal whose identification card was found among drug paraphernalia in Marawi City during a clearing operations over the weekend was dismissed from service in 2014.
“Na-AWOL (absent without leave) sya [noong] 2014 and after that wala na tayong alam sa kanyang whereabouts. May nakita daw tayong ID doon pero hindi pa natin ma-confirm siya yung may hawak ng ID kasi pwede niyang ibigay sa ibang tao,” PNP chief Director General Ronaldo dela Rosa said on Monday.
The name of the dismissed policeman was withheld.
He said that based on their last information, the former policeman had converted to Islam before he went AWOL.
The mosque where security forces conducted clearing operations is also believed to be a firing position of the Maute terrorist group, triggering speculations that the policeman had joined the terrorist group.
“Hindi pa talaga tayo makapagsabi na siya yung nandun unless makuha natin siya sa crime scene, doon sa main battle area or kahit na yung kanyang dead body kung siya ay namatay, hindi natin mako-conclude na andun siya sa gyera,” Dela Rosa said. Frances Mangosing, INQUIRER.net