Mindoro cops’ plea to return to service junked

The Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) regional police had denied the appeal for reinstatement of two police officers tagged in the murder of anticrime crusader Zenaida Luz.

Supt. Imelda Tolentino, spokesperson for the Mimaropa police, on Monday said a special order was issued on Jan. 18, ordering Senior Insp. Magdalino Pimentel Jr. and Insp. Markson Almeranez “dismissed from the service effective Aug. 2, 2017.”

Cops no more

“They are no longer cops (and) they no longer report here,” Tolentino said from the regional police headquarters in Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro province.

Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor, outgoing regional police director, denied the policemen’s motion for reconsideration on the administrative case and upheld his August decision that found Pimentel and Almeranez liable for grave misconduct.

Napolcom appeal

In a copy of the decision, Mayor said, “the forum finds the submitted motion lacking in merit that would warrant reversal or modification of the previous decision and the same is hereby denied.”

The decision was dated Nov. 29, 2017, although it was received only last week by the National Police Commission (Napolcom)-Mimaropa.

On Monday, Owen de Luna, Napolcom regional director, said Pimentel and Almeranez filed a motion in the Napolcom regional appellate board.

Pimentel and Almeranez, who were assigned to the Provincial Public Safety Company and as police chief of Socorro, Oriental Mindoro, respectively, were arrested and charged over the killing of Luz on Oct. 9, 2016.

Luz was an officer of the
anticrime watchdog Citizens Crime Watch. She was shot and killed in Gloria town, Oriental Mindoro, by a group of men, of which two turned out to be
Pimentel and Almerenez .

Also in August last year, the Manila court handling the murder trial granted the police officers’ temporary release after they posted a P1 million bail. —MARICAR CINCO