Lifestyle check under way for 40 cops in Central Visayas

CEBU CITY—The Philippine National Police has started investigating at least 40 policemen in Central Visayas region, most of them noncommissioned officers, for unexplained wealth.

Senior Supt. Jose Carumba, chief of the police’s Regional Internal Affairs Service (Rias), declined to identify the policemen but said most of them hold the ranks of Police Officer 1 to Senior Police Officer 4.

“Based on the information we received, these policemen … have unexplained wealth. Many of them have at least two vehicles and several houses. We want to know how they acquired all of these,” Carumba said.

This was the second batch of policemen subjected to a lifestyle check.

Of the 63 policemen who were earlier investigated, 10 had been charged in the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and other Law Enforcement Agencies (Moleo) for violating Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Carumba confirmed that Supt. Rex Derilo, former chief of the Regional Intelligence Division (RID)-Central Visayas, and Supt. George Ylanan, former chief of Regional Special Operations Group, were among those under investigation.

Derilo and Ylanan, who were earlier accused of protecting confessed drug lord Franz Sabalones, were among the police officials from Cebu province who were transferred outside the region in July last year after President Duterte assumed office and waged an all-out campaign against illegal drugs.

Carumba said the RID, the Regional Intelligence Unit and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency were leading the investigation.

Carumba said only the RID had finished its validation process. If two of these investigating units confirm irregularities, Rias would conduct another round of investigation and decide on the matter.