Sacked cop insists PRO-7 erred

CEBU, Philippines — The former police officer who was found guilty of grave misconduct insisted that the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 erred in dismissing him from service.

PRO-7 dismissed Moises Cunanan after finding substantial evidence proving his possession of prohibited drugs and grenades which he reportedly kept in his lockers at Bogo City Police Station during an inspection on December 19, 2016.

Cunanan earlier sought the court’s intervention on his case claiming the PRO-7 has acted in grave abuse of its discretion when it ruled he was guilty of grave misconduct.

He filed a petition for certiorari and PRO-7 asked the court to deny it for lack of merit and cause of action.

PRO-7 represented by its regional director, Police Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino, said they acted within the bounds of the law when they dismissed Cunanan from the service.

Cunanan, in his comment to PRO-7’s answer, reiterates that the former acted in grave abuse of discretion when it ruled he was guilty of grave misconduct.

He claimed no evidence was presented against him during the summary hearing that would prove he was in possession of lockers 7, 13, and 14 at the Bogo City Police Station, where the alleged six medium sized transparent plastic sachets and two fragmentation grenades were recovered.

"...what has appeared all throughout the proceedings in Administrative Case No. PRO7- RHQ-RHSG-2017-0055 is that there is no speck of proof whatsoever, presented by the police prosecution, that would show that herein petitioner was in possession or control of the lockers from where contrabands were discovered and seized," read the comment.

When the inspection was conducted, Cunanan claimed he was no longer assigned at Bogo City Police Station, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), as he was reassigned to Bohol Provincial Police Office (BPPO) in August 2016.

Cunanan further said the list of locker assignments, which was included in the record of his case, was a mere "scrap of paper" holding no probative value as it has no dates showing the supposed assignment of lockers to police officers assigned at said station.

There was no signature or name of the officer who recorded the entries. Thus, he sought that the findings of PRO-7 be declared null and void. —/MBG (FREEMAN)