Three of the 13 policemen implicated in the recycling of more than 160 kilos of shabu they seized in the Pampanga drug raid in 2013 were ordered dismissed from the service.
But their dismissal is not in connection with the Pampanga drug raid but with the anomalous drug raid in Antipolo City in May this year, according to Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
He identified them as Master Sgts. Donald Roque, Master Sgt. Rommel Vital, and Corporal Romeo Guerrero.
The three, along with Police Lt. Joven de Guzman, were recommended for dismissal by the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) in connection with the Antipolo drug raid which started when they intercepted a motorist in a checkpoint.
The victim sped off the car and sought refuge in their house which was eventually raided by the policemen.
“I received the folder on October 17 and I approved the dismissal of the three,” said Gamboa.
The official, however, said that he referred back the folder to the IAS to conduct a review on the case of de Guzman since he could not be dismissed since he was only charged for a lesser offense of less grave misconduct.
“He could not be charged with less grave then during the resolution he would be given a heavy penalty, this is not part of the due process,” said Gamboa.
But he said he ordered a 59-day suspension on de Guzman.
“However, I returned the case folder to IAS for him to be tried for a graver offense because in the course of the investigation, they’ve found out that the degree of the participation of an official is far more than what he was charged for,” said Gamboa.
Once de Guzman is pinned down on a graver offense, it is expected that he too shall be dismissed from the service.
The four cops were assigned to Antipolo after they were pulled out of Mindanao allegedly on the request of a Prosecutor’s Office of Pampanga for them to be returned to Pampanga to attend court hearings.
During the Senate probe, the senators questioned the letter from Pampanga Prosecutor’s Office.
It was recalled that after then PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde allegedly intervened not to implement the dismissal of the 13 cops in Pampanga drug raid, then Central Luzon regional police chief Brig. Gen Aaaron Aquino assigned them all to Mindanao.
But with the Prosecutor’s Office letter addressed to ALbayalde, they were all pulled out of Mindanao and reassigned in various areas in Luzon.
Maj. Rodney Baloyo, the leader of the raiding team in Pampanga, was given a juicy post as deputy city director of Tagaytay.
The rest of the 13 cops are currently under restrictive custody. (Aaron Recuenco)
