Fake cop case: PRO-7 to probe shop that sold police uniform

CEBU, Philippines - Police Regional Office-7 will conduct an investigation on the tailoring shop where Dojie Canindo, who was arrested on Sunday for pretending to be a cop, got his police uniform.

Chief Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan, PRO-7 director, said they do not have official tailoring shops, although there are those that are accredited and were directed to ask first for police identification cards to make sure that their customers are really police officers.

He said they will check if this tailoring shop located in Sanciangko Street, Cebu City, where Canindo bought the police uniform, is one of those that have accreditation.

“Dapat may I.D. We will conduct an administrative investigation also on that tailoring shop as to why they did not look for an I.D,” said Gaerlan.

Should it be proven that the shop is accredited but did not follow the instruction, Gaerlan said they will have to take away the accreditation.

“The most that we can do is to recall such accreditation, tatanggalin namin kapag mag-violate sila,” he said.

He said things like these should not be taken for granted because some people might use this as a strategy to harm others.

“So we are strict sa ganung pagsusuot kasi sometimes nga ginagamit ng mga masasamang loob ang uniform namin. We have to protect our own organization. Especially the badge, very strict ang instruction na hindi magtatahi ng badge na walang I.D,” he said.

In a separate interview, attendants of the tailoring shop said they gave Canindo the police uniform, saying they did not know that an I.D. is required from the buyer before selling a police uniform.

One of the attendants, who refused to be named, said she remembered Canindo coming to their shop last November together with two others.

She said Canindo’s companions bought a collared pin for a security guard while Canindo bought a uniform of a police officer.

“Pag-una, nagduda na g’yud ko ato nga dili siya pulis kay iyang mga kauban, puro man pangsekyu ang gipalit. Unya siya gasige man og katawa sa pag-order niya,” said the attendant, adding she did not know Canindo was eventually given the uniform because she entertained another customer.

It was PO1 Boggart Anor who caught Canindo on Sunday wearing the uniform with a holster and a replica of a gun. He doubted the suspect upon seeing that he did not have a badge and a nameplate.

Canindo then admitted buying the uniform from a tailoring shop because of his dream to become a police officer.

He later apologized and said he did not know that wearing a policeman’s uniform is not allowed and that he did not have any bad intention of doing so.

However, yesterday morning, he has been sued for illegal use of uniform and insignia, illegal possession of firearm and violation of City Ordinance 1743 or the Possession of Gun Replica.

His mother told authorities that her son is actually mentally disturbed, but Gaerlan has said it could be a form of defense and that it is up to the court to accept it.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7 also found out in its investigation into Canindo’s background that he was convicted of rape and has served 10 years at the New Bilibid Prison.

Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, CIDG-7 chief, said Canindo was accused in 2003 of raping a five-year-old girl in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City.

He was convicted and served for 10 years at NBP, and is out on parole since 2013.

Canindo, in another interview, denied the rape allegation and said the five-year-old was just briefed by her mother for them to extort money from him.

He said he and the girl’s family are just neighbors in Labangon at that time. He said the mother asked him to look after her daughter because she will be going somewhere.

Canindo said since the girl looked very dirty at that time, he bathed her. However, he was accused for rape.

“Ako ra gud nga giligo gud pero wala ra gu’y malisya,” he said. — (FREEMAN)