To undergo retraining after teens’ deaths
METRO Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde on Friday relieved the entire police force of Caloocan City of their duties, with the estimated 1,000 uniformed personnel deployed for “retraining” after a series of serious offenses, including the killing of at least two teenagers.
The offenses also included an incident in which an elderly woman complained that 13 rookie policemen from the Caloocan Police Assistance Center 12 robbed her home of cash, jewelry and a gadget at 9 p.m. on September 7.
“Today, we removed all personnel in Substation 7. All 62 of them, plus 13 from the public safety battalion of the Northern Police District,” Albayalde said in a radio interview.
Albayalde also said all policemen from Station 2 and Station 7 would be removed within the day. “The three stations will be prioritized. All personnel will be replaced and will undergo retraining,” he said.
Members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) regional public safety battalion will temporarily replace the sacked Caloocan policemen, Albayalde said.
Gina Erobas of Caloocan’s Barangay 188 has filed a complaint for robbery and violation of domicile before the Caloocan Police Station Investigation and Detective Management Branch against Police Officer 1 (PO1) PO1 Ariel Furlo, PO1 Marvin Poblete, PO1 Sherwin Rivera, PO1 Jay Gabatu. PO1 Shabane Sampurna, PO1 Rene Llanto, PO1 Louie Serrano, PO1 Jaypee Talay, PO1 Ronelio Julaton , PO1 Jay-R Sabangan, PO1 Jaime Natividad, a certain PO1 Miguel and PO1 Joey Learan.
Closed-circuit television showed the policemen robbing the house, which led to their relief. The policemen allegedly took two wristwatches worth a total of P8,000, a cellular phone worth P12,000 and a wallet containing P6,000 in cash.
Erobas told police she would also file a case for violation of the Anti-Child Abuse Law against the policemen after her two minor grandchildren who witnessed the incident were traumatized.
“The chance given to you by the government to serve and to be policemen was wasted. The chance was not given to you for you to become robbers,” Albayalde told the Caloocan policemen involved in the alleged robbery.
Caloocan police have been tagged in the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd de los Santos on August 16 and 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz on August 18. The police claimed there were shootouts in both incidents.
De los Santos, a Grade 12 student, was said to have been shot on is back while kneeling and pleading for his life in Barangay 160.
The body of Arnaiz, a former UP student and a resident of Cainta, Rizal, was found 10 days later in a Caloocan morgue, bearing signs of torture. His alleged companion, 14-year-old Reynaldo de Guzman, was found dead in Nueva Ecija earlier this month, his head wrapped with packaging tape.
Irregularity
Caloocan Police Chief, Senior Supt. Jemar Modequillo said the Caloocan Police Assistance Center 12 team’s operation clearly showed irregularities, prompting him on Thursday to relieved them along with their team leader, Senior Insp. Warren Peralta and the station commander, Chief Insp. Timothy Aniway, Jr.
Modequillo questioned the police’s team’s use of an “asset” (informant) and a minor, as well as the absence of a search warrant.
WITH JING VILLAMENTE