2 junior cops suspended for rowdy behavior

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Two junior police officers suspended for preventing the arrest of two men, including another policeman, due to extortion raps found themselves in deeper trouble.

This time, over rowdy behavior inside the Central Mindanao police headquarters here, where they had been reassigned since being removed from the General Santos City Public Safety Company (GSCPSC).

Senior Insp. Benjamin Mauricio, information officer of the Central Mindanao police office, said Insp. Nemesio Calipjo, former chief of the GSCPSC’s robbery and theft section, and Senior Insp. Hardemon Sibal, former GSCPSC anti-illegal drugs task force chief, were reeking with liquor on Monday and went unruly inside Camp Fermin Lira.

Mauricio said Supt. Ruel Berango, deputy chief for operations of the General Santos City Police, confronted the two police officers over their behavior but they were disrespectful of the higher-ranking officer.

Berango said they subdued Sibal but Calipjo managed to slip away. When he returned, Calipjo was armed with an M-16 rifle and indiscriminately fired his gun inside the camp, Berango said.

In a television interview, Chief Supt. Alex Paul Monteagudo, Central Mindanao police chief, apologized for the behavior of the police officers.

“I assure the public that I will hold those people responsible for their actions,” Monteagudo said.

Last week, Monteagudo ordered the relief of the two officers, their immediate superior, Supt. Jessie Ramos, and other GSCPC members for challenging members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to a gunfight.

The CIDG has staged an entrapment operation against two of Ramos’ men—PO3 Leopoldo Pascual and civilian asset Nelson Bering—after the family of an arrested suspect in a drug-related case complained they were being made to pay P200,000 for the charges to be withdrawn.

Senior Supt. Noli Romana, director of the CIDG in Central Mindanao, told the Inquirer that during the payoff, which was agreed to take place inside the GSCPSC compound here, the family of Jonard Abaga brought only P17,000.

But Bering declined to take the money upon learning the amount was not even close to what they had agreed upon earlier, he said.

Romana said even then, the CIDG operatives tried to arrest Bering and Pascual but other members of the GSCPSC intervened.

“GSCPSC personnel, except Chief Insp. Elmer Yago, were brandishing their M-16 rifles and threatened the CIDG operatives. Hence, (the suspects) were not arrested,” Romana said.

He said the CIDG team leader, Senior Insp. Leo Deofiles, sought Ramos’ help and explained to him why they were arresting Pascual and Bering.

But Romana said Ramos instead “challenged the CIDG team to a gun fight.” He actually drew, loaded and cocked his M-203 rifle, he said.

To avoid bloodshed, Romana said the CIDG operatives returned to their headquarters and reported Ramos’ actuation to higher officials.

Ramos later disowned Bering and Pascual. “They (Bering and Pascual) are no longer under my command for more than a month now,” he said.

Ramos said he was reacting to the fact that “armed men not in uniform suddenly entered my compound without coordination from me.”

“Naturally, I had to react,” Ramos said.

Ramos said he was not contesting his relief but asked that he be spared from whatever illegal activities his former men had done.

“It was okay that I was relieved. But I hope this is not a setup to destroy me,” he said.

Romana said even if Ramos had been relieved, the CIDG would file charges against him for bungling a legitimate police entrapment operation. Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao