6 cops face ax for robbing vendor

MANILA, Philippines — The Internal Affairs Service (IAS) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has recommended the dismissal of six anti-narcotics officers in Caloocan who allegedly assaulted and robbed a vendor of P14,000 in cash aid from the government in March.

IAS inspector general Alfegar Triambulo said yesterday they submitted their resolution on the administrative cases filed against the police officers before the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management’s discipline, law and order division on May 31.

The IAS recommended the dismissal of Corporals Noel Sison, Mark Christian Cabanilla, Jake Rosima, Ryan Sammy Mateo, Rommel Toribio and Daryl Sablay.

The policemen, who were assigned with the drug enforcement unit of the Caloocan police, were found guilty of grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer for robbing vendor Eddie Yuson last March 27.

Triambulo said the strongest evidence against the policemen was footage from a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera that showed they took Yuson’s wallet from his bag, which contained the cash, and hit the victim on the head.

Yuson was on his way to buy food for his family when the policemen stopped him and searched his bag, supposedly for illegal drugs.

“They attempted to make up some story (but) it was not sufficient to overcome the clear interpretation of the CCTV (footage),” Triambulo said in a phone interview.

He said their investigators have also confirmed with the local office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development that Yuson was a recipient of the government’s cash assistance because of the COVID-19 pandemic.