11 Bulacan cops in ‘fabricated’ drug bust ordered relieved

PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa (Image grabbed from the PNP Facebook page)

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police chief Gen. Archie Gamboa has ordered the relief of 11 police personnel in San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan for their alleged involvement in the killing of six people during a buy-bust operation in February.

“PNP Chief, Police General Archie Gamboa ordered the administrative relief and restrictive custody of 11 police personnel of San Jose Del Monte City Police Station named respondents in a case for kidnapping with murder filed before the DOJ (Department of Justice),” PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said in a statement on Friday.

This was after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed complaints of kidnapping with murder against former City Drug Enforcement chief Police Major Leo Commendador dela Rosa; Police Staff Sergeants Benjie Enconado, Jayson Legaspi, Irwin Yuson, Edmund Catubay Jr.; Police Corporals Jay Leoncio, Herbert Hernandez, Raymond Bayan, Raul Malgapo; and Patrolmen Erwin Sabido and Rusco Madla.

Gamboa also directed Central Luzon police director Brig. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia to place the policemen under restrictive custody as authorities investigate the killings.According to the NBI, the law enforcers arrested the six victims last Feb. 13 as they were passing the house where Dela Rosa’s subordinates had just apprehended five other people in an anti-drug operation.

The victims were brought to Dela Rosa’s office, where they were hogtied and blindfolded without being booked for any offense.

A few days later, the NBI said police brought the victims to a secluded area where they were shot dead but made it appear they fought back during the drug sting.