For going to Cockpits: 14 Central Visayas cops face charges

CEBU, Philippines — Fourteen policemen under the Police Regional Office (PRO) - 7 are facing administrative charges after they were proven to have gone to cockfighting arenas.

The Integrity Monitoring Enforcement Group (IMEG) of the Visayas Field Unit of the PNP monitored the 14 cops starting December 2019.

The IMEG started monitoring the cops after receiving tips and reports from the public through its hotline.

“Pinupuntahan ng validation team at, yun, na-picturan sila, vini-video…yung validations ay yun yung mga tumatambay sila sa mga cockpit arenas (The validation team went and took photos and videos… it was able to verify that the cops went to the cockpit arenas),” said Police Captain Neon Francis Alvarez of IMEG.

Alvarez said that when the police receive reports from the public, IMEG validates these reports.

“Ito yung (nag monitor) sa mga scalawag ng mga police, sa mga involved sa extortion, sa mga drug activities na mga pulis… ang IMEG ay kami yung in charge sa mga police na mga naliligaw ng landas (We’re the ones in charge of scalawag policemen, those involved in extortion and illegal drugs… we’re in charge of cops who lose their way),” Alvarez said.

The police’s aggressive campaign is in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s order prohibiting police personnel from gambling areas and it reportedly does not matter if the gambling areas are legally authorized.

The cops charged may be dismissed from service but should they be only suspended, they would need to participate in a moral recovery program.

The cops’ names are being withheld at the moment as they are given a chance to appeal the charges before the Regional Intelligence Affairs Service (RIAS) - 7. As their cases are heard, they will be given the chance to submit affidavits to refute the evidence against them. JMO (FREEMAN)