Bato to boot drug suspect's cop escorts from service
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa on Wednesday said two officers assigned to protect the daughter of a convicted drug lord will be removed from the service.
He was referring to members of the PNP- Police Security and Protection Group assigned to protect Diane Yu Uy, daughter of drug convict Yu Yuk Lai.
Yu was caught with P5 million worth of shabu and bank checks when Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency personnel searched her cell at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong.
Uy, was caught in another operation at the GY J Condominium in San Miguel, Manila near Malacañang. Uy was Yu's alleged distributor, smuggling shabu into the CIW by hiding packets in sacks of rice and other items sent to the detention facility.
READ: Drug queen earned P20 M a month – PDEA
In a televised press briefing, Dela Rosa said the security escorts of 40-year-old Uy would be held “administratively liable for serious neglect of duty” because, he said, they knew that she is a drug lord's daughter.
The police were said to be securing Uy during her visit to Lai at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong.
Dela Rosa said the cops’ loyalty had shifted to Uy after she gave them an allowance of P1,000 a day for protecting her.
“I will make sure these police officers will be removed from the organization. Apparently, they enjoyed the allowance being given to them,” Dela Rosa said in a mix of Filipino and English.
“For that, they deserve to answer for their acts,” he added.
Police Officer 3 Walter Vidad, is being investigated to determine if he is also involved in illegal drugs.
Records showed Vidad has been detailed as Diana’s security since 2015.
A document signed by Diana and her sister, Joann, stated a Police Officer 2 Faisal Sawadjaan had been also assigned as their escort.
Drug queen's daughter deceived authorities
The PNP chief explained that the organization did not know Uy was Lai's daughter because she had deceived the authorities.
According to Dela Rosa, Uy requested for protective security personnel after being kidnapped. The PNP-Anti Kidnapping Group had validated the threat against her and she was granted police security.
Dela Rosa said Uy failed to disclose Lai's daughter. Had they known, he said, the PNP would have rejected her request.
Asked about the vetting process and requirements needed to be granted police escorts, Chief Superintendent Joel Crisostomo Garcia, PSPG director, said requesting parties are asked to submit a letter request, application form and an affidavit notarized in three copies.
The PSPG renews its list of people that require protection every six months.
After the Uy gaffe, Dela Rosa said he has ordered the security details for government officials and VIPs recalled.
“Because of this incident we will be more careful we will be more strict and we will be…we will make sure that they will only grant security details to innocent people,” he said.
Uy was arrested on November 6 after the PDEA raided her unit in San Miguel, Manila. They recovered an estimated two kilos of shabu worth P10 million.
PDEA also recovered millions worth of shabu in Yu's cell at CIW. They also seized other drug paraphernalia, 19 checks worth P633,593 and a check book; five ATM cards; and records for a bank account with a deposit of P1,501,934.36 under the name of “Anna Sy Balmeo.”
Yu uses Yuk Lai Sze and Anna Sy Balmeo as her aliases.
She was first arrested in 2000 for drug trafficking. She escaped from prison but was arrested again in 2013.
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