2 cops on AWOL fall in Rizal buy-bust

SAN PEDRO CITY – Two police officers, who had reportedly gone on absence without leave (AWOL), were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Rodriguez town in Rizal province on Thursday night.

Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the Calabarzon police, identified them as Police Officer 2 Benjo Sionilo, 37, and PO1 Ivan Henrick Tava, 33.

In a press conference Friday at the regional police headquarters, Eleazar presented the suspects, who were arrested in a police operation at 10:20 p.m. Thursday in Barangay (village) Burgos.

The arresting team recovered five sachets of suspected “shabu” (crystal meth) and two .9-mm caliber guns issued to them while in the service, he said.

Supt. Chitadel Gaoiran, regional police spokesperson, in a text message, said the dismissal order was already out for Tava, who served in the Philippine National Police for seven years until he went on AWOL in March last year.

Meanwhile, the PNP is processing the dismissal of Sionilo who went on AWOL in  March 2017, after 11 years in the service.

Both of them were last assigned in Rizal province-—Sionilo at the Antipolo City police station while Tava at the provincial mobile force company. MARICAR CINCO