9 cops face relief for firing guns
By JONATHAN MAYUGA
TODAY Correspondent
Interior Secretary Jose Lina Jr. Thursday ordered the immediate relief of nine policemen who reportedly fired their service firearms during the New Year’s eve revelry.
The nine were PO1 Moises Cadalis and PO2 Angel Atos of the PNP-Special Action Force (SAF); PO2 June Estrada of Camp Crame; SPO4 Dominador Ferrer of PNP-Calasiao, Pangasinan; SPO4 Diosdado Bamba of PNP-San Fernando City; SPO1 Edgardo Dadivas and PO3 Danilo Orocio of PNP-Western Visayas, PO3 Virgilio Bismonte of PNP-Mandaluyong City and PO1 Francis Gallaris.
Lina said the erring policemen should be made to pay for the “very serious infraction†that may have caused injuries and even death to civilians.
In a memorandum to PNP chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., Lina said the “trigger happy†policemen should be immediately relieved for deliberately disregarding the order for PNP operatives to refrain from firing their guns during the New Year celebrations.
Lina, who is also chairman of the National Police Commission, ordered Director Agaton Vergara, chief of Napolcom's Inspection, Monitoring and Investigation Service, to determine the other regulations that the policemen may have violated.
As early as December 15, Lina had been reminding PNP, Bureau of Jail and Bureau of Fire personnel on “Oplan Silent Gun.†The objective of the program was to remind policemen not to fire their guns during Christmas and New Year celebrations. Lina had warned that cops who would defy the order would be relieved.
“These policemen openly violated the standing directive to all PNP, fire and jail officers not to fire their guns during the festivities, hence, they should be disciplined and, if evidence warrants, charged criminally and administratively,†Lina said.
He said the relief of the erring policemen should serve as stern warning to all policemen to “follow the letter policies and regulations of the police organization.â€
Three policemen were arrested, meanwhile, for alleged hulidap operations on a Davao City businessman in Quiapo on Monday.
They were identified as PO3 Robinson de los Reyes, detailed at the National Police custodial investigation; PO2 Lutgardo Ramirez, assigned with the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG); and PO2 Leonardo Lopez, assigned with the Manila Police Station 8 in Santa Mesa.
A cohort of the three policeman, Teotimo Castro, reportedly a CIDG agent, was able to elude arrest and is now a subject of a manhunt.
The case stemmed from a complaint of trader Kimal Pukunan, 39, of Davao City.
Pukunan told investigators he was in Arlegui Street waiting for a taxi when two men with handguns approached him and introduced themselves as CIDG agents.
Pukunan said that at gunpoint he was dragged into a red car with license plate TGU-357 and was accused of being a drug pusher. with G. de los Santos
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