Another erring police officer from the National Capital Region Police Office was arrested by the anti-scalawag and intelligence operatives of the Philippine National Police in Pasig City yesterday.
Police Col. Romeo Caramat Jr., chief of the PNP-Counter-Intelligence Task Force, identified the suspect as Police Corporal 2 Edgar Santos, who is assigned to the Eastern Police District.
Caramat said the CITF and Intelligence Group teams served an arrest warrant against Santos while he was serving as an on-duty roving patrol officer at the EPD headquarters at around 1:30 a.m.
The warrant of arrest was issued on Jan. 28, 2019 by Judge Don Ace Marlano Alagar, acting presiding judge of the Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 42 in Quezon City.
According to Caramat, Santos was among the target persons in a foiled entrapment operation conducted by the anti-scalawag unit in Marikina City on Dec. 10, 2018 for extorting P100,000 from one alias “Rosana.”
The CITF chief said administrative and criminal cases for robbery-extortion were filed against Santos before the court. “The case is now pending at the Department of Justice for preliminary investigation,” Caramat said.
Santos was taken to the CITF headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City where he was documented and detained.
This was the second time an erring cop from the EPD was arrested.
Last week, Police Corporal Marlo Quibete, an anti-drug operative allegedly extorted P60,000 from a male drug suspect in exchange for his temporary liberty.
The incident prompted PNP chief Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde to relieve EPD district director Police Brig. Gen. Bernabe Balba for command responsibility, as well as the 15-member unit of the EPD drug enforcement unit.
Barba’s replacement, Police Brig. Gen. Christopher Tambungan, is set to check on the pending cases of EPD police personnel following the arrest of Santos.
“We will check on all pending administrative cases of EPD police personnel,” Tambungan said in a text message sent through Police Staff Sgt. Gabrielle Deligente of the EPD Public Information Office.
Tambungan, who assumed as the new EPD chief Thursday, advised his men settle their “personal circumstances” to avoid apprehension similar to what happened with Santos.
The EPD chief clarified that the arrest of Santos was not connected to his job as a policeman. “The arrest of PO2 Santos is not service-related. His estafa case is in relation to a P1-million vehicle business franchise,” Tambungan said. (with a report from Jhon Alrdin Casinas)
