Central Luzon cops face raps for escape of drug suspects

MANILA, Philippines – The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will file this week criminal and administrative charges against several Central Luzon policemen for the escape of two suspected drug pushers at a checkpoint in Baliuag, Bulacan last June 21.

Though the 12 NCRPO policemen and two civilians were released after the intervention of their superiors, Chief Inspector Robert Razon of the NCRPO Regional Anti-Drug Division (RAID) lamented that the Central Luzon policemen failed to return marked money, mobile phones, jewelry and personal effects.

“After a thorough verification, the team leader and the operatives including the CA’s (civilian assets) companion and other civilian force multipliers were released with their respective issued firearms, however the Mitsubishi Montero and personal belongings inside their cars, such as the buy-bust money, cellular phones, jewelry and personal effects were not returned by the Central Luzon RSOG (Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) Operatives and RPSB (Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) elements led by Superintendent Froilan Uy,” said Razon in his three-page report on the incident.

Chief Inspector Kimberly Molitas, NCRPO spokeswoman, insisted that the RAID operation was legitimate since it included a coordination and pre-operation (pre-ops) report with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Molitas claimed that the NCRPO would cooperate fully in any investigation on the incident since they are not hiding anything.

However, the Central Luzon policemen also filed charges against the NCRPO policemen as they insisted that the operation was not legitimate.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ricardo Marquez had ordered the police Internal Affairs Service (IAS) to conduct a deeper probe of the incident.

In his report to NCRPO chief Director Joel Pagdilao, Razon said a police team headed by Inspector Johnny Garcia rushed to Bulacan to conduct an entrapment operation after their informant, identified only as Mike, received a text message from suspected drug lords that his order of 10 kilos of shabu would be delivered to him at a fastfood restaurant in Pulilan, Bulacan on June 21.

Garcia and his men proceeded to the location, while Benjamin Nepuscua submitted the pre-operation and coordination report from the PDEA to the Operations Division of the Police Regional Office-3, Pampanga provincial office and the Pulilan and Baliuag police stations.

The RAID team tailed Mike’s silver Mitsubishi Montero and PO3 Hector Hernandez was designated as a poseur-buyer.

The RAID team parked their vehicle near the Montero but after an hour of waiting, Mike received a text message that the drug deal would be consummated at a shopping mall in Baliuag.

At the parking lot of the mall in Baliuag, the RAID team noticed the arrival of a black Ford Ranger with license plates ATA 4809, which stopped in front of the Montero then parked with its hazard lights on.

The driver of the vehicle alighted and went to the footbridge while at the same time looking at the Montero, and called up Mike instructing him to leave the Montero’s doors open as they would load the “items.”

The driver’s companion took over the steering wheel of the Montero and drove off, and was closely followed by the Ford Ranger until they stopped at a convenience store outside the Eight Waves resort, with the RAID team close behind them.

A few minutes later, Mike received a text message ordering him to take his Montero at the Eight Waves resort. A pink floral bag containing 10 kilos of shabu was also left inside the Montero.

However, while Mike was driving his Montero along Maharlika Highway southbound, the RAID team noticed that the Ford Ranger was closely following, prompting Garcia to order that the occupants of the suspect’s vehicle be accosted.

But before Garcia and his men could make the arrest, the occupants of the Ford Ranger ran toward a police checkpoint under Yu and had the Montero flagged down.

Garcia stepped in and a verbal altercation broke out.

The NCRPO policemen were ordered to lie face down on the ground, and disarmed of their service firearms and personal belongings, said Razon.

At the height of the confusion, the two occupants of the Ford Ranger drove off.

The RAID team and their civilian companions were released only after the intervention of Razon and Senior Superintendent Manuel Lukban, NCRPO’s intelligence chief.