Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), ordered on Tuesday, August 3, the Internal Affairs Service to expedite he dismissal of five policemen tagged in the kidnap-slay of a female online seller in Nueva Ecija last month.
"These criminal-minded cops have no place in the Philippine National Police (PNP). I will make sure that these policemen will be dismissed from the service," said Eleazar.
He was referring to Police Staff Sgt. Benedict Matias Reyes, assigned at the Sta. Rosa Municipal Police Station in Nueva Ecija; Police Staff Sgt. June Malillin, of the Palayan City Police Station; Police Corporal Julius Alcantara, of the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office Drug Enforcement Unit; Police Master Sgt. Rowen Martin, assigned at the Cabanatuan City Police Station; and Police Staff Sgt. Drextemir Esmundo, assigned at the Cabiao Municipal Police Station.
The five policemen were accused of masterminding the kidnapping of Nadia Casar, an online seller from Cavite, last month. Casar's body was burned and buried in Sitio Pinagpala, Barangay Imelda Valley, Palayan City. Her cadaver was discovered on July 23.
A Grab driver, who was tapped by Casar to drive her to Nueva Ecija for a meeting with another suspect, Franklin Macapagal, accidentally spotted a group photo of policemen assigned at the Sta. Rosa Municipal Police Station in Cavite when he went in the area for a conference between the local police and the Anti-Kidnapping Group. He pointed to one of them, later identified as Reyes, as one of those who abducted them.
The Grab driver was released a day after he and Casar were abducted.
He also identified two more cops from the file photos of the Nueva Ecija police, Martin and Esmundo.
The involvement of the policemen was reportedly corroborated by the caretaker of the safehouse where Casar was kept and later killed.
Of the five cops involved, only Martin and Esmundo remain in hiding.
Eleazar also ordered further investigation to determine if other police officers were involved in kidnap-for-ransom activities.