By: Aaron B. Recuenco
Operatives of the anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) arrested yesterday a police sergeant in Quezon City and three civilians who were accused of operating an illegal cockfighting.
Senior Supt. Chiquito Malayo, head of the Counter-Intelligence Task Force (CITF), said they are now hunting down two other policemen who are reportedly in cahoots with the arrested suspects.
He identified the arrested cop as SPO1 Jefer Butawan, assigned to Anonas Police Station of Quezon City.
Malayo said the operation stemmed from a complaint of a local official about the illegal cockfighting in Barangay Old Capitol Site every Saturday and Sunday being ran by some erring cops.
“We immediately started conducting surveillance and it was then that we identified the involved policemen,” said Malayo.
He said Butawan was collared during the raid over the weekend. The two other cops were able to escape.
The arrest of Buatawan also resulted in the relief of Chief Insp. Felipe Magtibay, the immediate supervisor of the arrested police sergeant over command responsibility.