Amid the recruitment spree in the Philippine National Police (PNP), a 59-year-old man tried to make money out of the police applicants by posing as an “influential” cop who could get anyone hired.
But the happy days of Robel Yap Canlas ended on Sunday after he was arrested for allegedly duping a female police applicant with P40,000.
Police Col. Romeo Caramat, head of the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG), said that Canlas demanded the money in exchange for a waiver that would allow applicants who do not meet the height requirement to still undergo the recruitment processes and eventually be hired.
The female police applicant, according to Caramat, availed herself of the “service” of Canlas as she believed that he was indeed a policeman assigned in Rodriguez, Rizal when they met in August last year.
“The arrested suspect introduced himself as SPO2 Gerome Canlas and offered assistance to help her in securing a height waiver in exchange for P40,000,” said Caramat.
The complainant paid the money in October last year but was disappointed that there was no progress in her request for a height waiver.
Instead, Canlas reportedly demanded P20,000 more allegedly to process her neuro and medical examination, another requirement for police application. The money was delivered through money remittance.
In order to make it appear that her application was making progress, Canlas personally delivered a shirt and a short that she would use in the medical exams in May this year.
The following month, the complainant was advised by the suspect to undergo neuro exam outside Camp Crame, Quezon City and after which the result was submitted by the complainant to PNP Hospital also in Camp Crame as per advise by the suspect.
But on Sunday, the suspect allegedly demanded P40,000 more, prompting the victim to seek the assistance of IMEG.
Caramat said Canlas was arrested while receiving the boodle money with marked peso bills on top in a store in Barangay San Rafael in Rodriguez, Rizal.
Seized from him were a PNP backpack, a .45 pistol, a fake PNP identification card, and a fake PNP badge.
Canlas is currently under IMEG custody and will be slapped with a string of criminal charges. (Aaron Recuenco)
