NCRPO chief alarmed by attacks on cops

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila’s top police official has expressed concern over the attacks on lawmen in the past few weeks, the latest of whom was a police officer who was killed in an ambush in Quezon City on Friday.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Guillermo Eleazar condemned the attacks on policemen even if the victims were accused of involvement in the drug trade.

“One thing is for sure, mali yun. Hindi pwedeng ganun, hindi tama. We cannot tolerate that,” he said in a phone interview.

The latest fatality, Inspector Romeo Tandas, 49, was killed in an ambush along Commonwealth Avenue in Barangay UP Campus. 

Tandas and his partner were in a blue Toyota Avanza when two men on a motorcycle opened fire before fleeing.

The policeman died from gunshots to the body. His partner survived the attack.  

Eleazar said he received reports that Tandas was on the drug list of President Duterte. 

Tandas was last assigned with the Quezon City Police District Tactical Operations Center at Camp Karingal.

He was supposedly one of the men assigned with retired Chief Inspector Roberto Razon at the NCRPO anti-illegal drugs unit in 2016. 

Razon was killed in an ambush in Pasay City last month. Prior to this, he was relieved and reassigned to Mindanao due to his alleged involvement in drugs.

Also in November, Superintendent Edgar Cariaso of the Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service was wounded in an attack near his house in Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City.

The attack on Cariaso came a day after Police Officer 3 Rufino Gabis, 47, was killed by two motorcycle-riding men along Kalayaan Avenue in Barangay Malaya.

Cariaso and Gabis were allegedly involved in drugs.

Eleazar said the “commonalities” of the ambushed policemen could be the basis in the investigation of the cases. 

He denied speculation that the police had something to do with the attacks on the police officers.