Cops in Pasig, Quezon City lose post for being ‘slow’

Performance judged by the minute.

Two police officers in Pasig and Quezon City have been relieved of their posts for being too slow to respond or alert their superiors concerning crimes committed in their respective areas.

The disciplinary actions stemmed from the stern directives earlier issued by National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina for Metro Manila policemen to shape up or be sacked.

Senior Police Officer 4 Rommel Concha, commander of the Barangay (village) Unang Sigaw precinct in Quezon City, was cited for his failure to act immediately on a violent robbery past midnight of October 7 in the Balintawak area, which sent a woman to the hospital.

Quezon City Police District director Chief Supt. Mario de la Vega said Concha was relieved because of his “slow response” in connection with the robbery and mauling of Stephanie Bernardo, 20, by suspect Erwin Salinas.

Salinas was arrested with the help of bystanders and village watchmen after he allegedly took some P7,000 in cash from a bakery where Bernardo, a student, worked as an attendant.

Salinas punched Bernardo in the face and hit her with a piece of wood after the woman held on to his shirt in an attempt to stop him from fleeing with his loot.

In Pasig City, Police Officer 2 Rex Baygar is facing administrative sanctions also for failure to immediately relay a complaint from a car theft victim.

Eastern Police District director Chief Supt. Miguel Laurel said Baygar would be asked to explain why he failed to immediately alert the EDP’s Tactical Operations Center about the complaint of Gerry Ereston, owner of a Toyota Vios (UVW-948), which was reportedly stolen early Wednesday.

Ereston said unidentified men forcibly took the vehicle from him on Meralco Avenue around 1:30 a.m.

Laurel said dragnet operations could have been launched within minutes by the EPD-TOC had it been informed by Baygar. Instead, the young officer took a longer route and simply “referred” Ereston’s case to the Pasig City police anticar theft unit.

“May this serve as a lesson to our policemen. If somebody asks for your help, do what you can to help,” Laurel said.—Julie M. Aurelio and Kristine Felisse Mangunay