‘Bato’ challenges police scalawags to shootout

MANILA, Philippines -  As another policeman was implicated in the illegal drugs trade, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa yesterday challenged other police scalawags to a shootout.

Dela Rosa issued the challenge after he confronted a police officer from Teresa, Rizal who was caught with 100 grams of shabu worth P300,000 at his house last Tuesday.

Police Officer 1 Fernan Manimbo, 33, was arrested at around 1 a.m. in Barangay Bagumbayan in Teresa.

Dela Rosa expressed frustration that despite his repeated warnings, there are still police officers involved in illegal activities.

“I’m already tired of appealing. My message to those policemen involved in illegal drugs is just to fight,” Dela Rosa said.

“You shoot it out with your fellow police officers who will arrest you so once and for all let’s settle the score,” he added.

Dela Rosa also ordered the immediate relief of Teresa police chief Senior Insp. Richard Ganalon for command responsibility as part of their internal cleansing program.

“We recognize his efforts in the anti-drug campaign but he was unlucky because one member of his drug enforcement team is peddling shabu,” said Dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa confronted Manimbo, now detained at the police station on charges of violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Manimbo is among 43 prisoners at the detention cell, which has a capacity of 15.

“You shouldn’t be ashamed if you have not committed any wrongdoing. Are you not afraid of me?” Dela Rosa told Manimbo.

Manimbo denied that he was involved in illegal drugs and claimed the shabu recovered from his house does not belong to him. Dela Rosa, however, was not buying his alibi.

Manimbo was a member of the police station’s drug enforcement team for about a month when he was arrested and has been under the Rizal Police’s drug watch list.

Based on intelligence information investigators have gathered, Dela Rosa said Manimbo is connected to convicted drug lord Amin Boratong.

“It appears that he is connected with the drug lord who is still in jail,” said Dela Rosa.

The Pasig regional trial court convicted Boratong for operating the shabu tiangge in Pasig and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe