THE news that six policemen from the so-called “Manila’s Finest”—the former premier police force Western Police District, now the Manila Police District (MPD)—were involved in a string of robbery-holdup cases in various forms is enough to make one sick to the stomach.
As if the shame they brought to the force was not enough, the Manila policemen, assigned to MPD Station 9, were arrested in Makati City by their counterparts there. Their station commander was relieved from his post due to command responsibility, and as of this writing, it remains to be seen whether the MPD chief himself will also be relieved.
Before their embarrassing arrest, the policemen had already been the subject of separate complaints involving extortion and robbery-holdup incidents, victimizing even small-time residents of Makati City.
In one of the complaints lodged, the victim, a man, said that he struck an agreement with two women he had met in Malate, Manila for a meetup in Arsonvel Street in Barangay San Isidro, Makati City.
Once there, however, the rogue cops arrived and at gunpoint, he was ordered to lie face down on the ground. He was hogtied before his valuables were taken and the cops boarded motorcycles and sped away.
In one of the incidents, the Makati City Police responded fully armed and were able to corner the cop-suspects through a backtracking operation, aided by reports from residents that the suspects were again in the area doing their usual activities.
One report said that Makati City Police only learned that the suspects they apprehended were also policemen after the arrest and during processing.
As charges of robbery-holdup have been filed against the cop-suspects before the Makati Prosecutor’s Office, more complainants continue to surface.
This is not only highly embarrassing but also deeply hurtful to MPD members who are doing their jobs properly—and I am sure there are still many of them in the force. In fact, I believe they still comprise the majority who value their badges and the oath they took to “serve and protect” the citizenry, not to oppress them.
This brings to mind the alleged involvement of yet another policeman, this time from the CIDG Eastern Metro Manila- District Field Unit, who was identified by a businessman based in Binondo, Manila as an accomplice of the 69-year-old man residing in Quiapo, Manila who was earlier nabbed by MPD Station 11 operatives for robbery-extortion activities victimizing Binondo-based traders.
The said CIDG member had been fully identified in the MPD-Station 11 report but up until now, there’s been no announcement or pronouncement as to what happened, after the MPD said the subject was already being hunted down. That was about two weeks ago and from what I heard, the suspect had been out on bail since.
Reportedly, the suspect is emboldened to victimize many because of the backing of the said CIDG cop. Do we expect anything to happen with this case? Only God knows…..
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