12 cops face raps for ’cracker haul

The Quezon  City Police District (QCPD) has identified a dozen policemen, one of them a chief inspector, who were caught on camera taking banned firecrackers from a pile  confiscated by their colleagues to comply with President Aquino’s condemnation of  the use of explosive-type pyrotechnic materials.

QCPD deputy director for operations Senior Supt. Neri Ilagan assured  the public  that the erring policemen will face administrative charges  for taking the illegal firecrackers.

Ilagan said the policemen cannot be charged criminally yet. “The firecrackers have not been considered evidence so far because these were abandoned and were only retrieved by our policemen,” he explained.

He said  he and QCPD director Chief Supt. Mario de la Vega were at the New Year’s Eve presentation at the  QCPD headquarters in Camp Karingal when they  saw the  policemen grab as many  firecrackers as they could.

“I had to shoo them away from the pile,” Ilagan said.

National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Supt. Leonardo Espina named the  policemen currently undergoing summary hearing proceedings for grave misconduct as Chief Insp. Michael Sanchez of the QCPD District Police Safety Battalion; PO3 Jay Bonifacio Raz; PO3 Boy Clarito Blancad; PO1 James Bareo; PO1 Eric Bote; SPO1 Ricardo Llena Jr; PO1 Richard Paz; PO1 Gerald Coronel; PO3 Robert Rodillas; PO1 Raymar Consejo; PO1 Jaypee Tabo; and PO2 Winston Quintos.

Espina said they may also include an SPO3 and at least four other rookie policemen who were also seen in the video footage.