Taguig police chief Col. Celso Rodriquez said he will not tolerate misfits in the service after four policemen assigned to the station were arrested in a P30-million robbery in Pasig City on Dec. 18.
“First, we do not tolerate these acts by our police and they should be held liable. If there are misfits or misguided members of the organization, I do believe that majority still deserve the honor and prestige of being called law enforcers,” Rodriguez told Manila Bulletin.
The victims of the robbery that happened along Sta Elvira St., Bgy Kapitolyo in Pasig were identified as Joana Marie Espiritu, 26, and Kani Toshihiro, a Japanese national, 42, who were held at gunpoint by the suspects.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the suspects forced Toshiro to open a vault and take out about P30 million cash and an expensive mobile phone.
According to the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), the suspects were identified as Taguig police officers Jayson Bartolome, Merick Desoloc, Christian Jerome Reyes and Pat Kirk Joshua Almojera; AJ Mary Agnas, a staff of the victims; and Jhon Carlo Atienza, a resident of Taguig, who was found dead with a gunshot wound along Kalayaan Avenue in Makati.
The other suspects who are at-large are Ferdinand Fallaria, a dismissed policeman formerly assigned at NCRPO; and Rowel Galan.
According to Rodriguez, “To our other colleagues, please continue serving with honesty, courage and concern for our country. Reject wrong acts especially being involved in any illegal activities. Rather, improve our service to our citizens wholeheartedly and with sacrifice.”
Among the pieces of evidence recovered were P9.04 million in cash from Reyes and P100,000 from Salazar.
Meanwhile, Taguig Mayor Lino Cayetano will create a special investigation committee after he learned that a Taguig City government employee was involved in the robbery.
“I am creating a special investigation committee that will immediately look into a robbery incident involving a Taguig City employee. All links in relation to this incident will be looked into," said Cayetano.
According to the city government, “The City condemns all acts of violence, illegal drugs, and corruption and it will not tolerate any employee who is involved in any form of crime. Let this serve as a very strong warning to bad elements who prey on innocent civilians. In Taguig, regardless of who you are, you will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
Cayetano ordered the Taguig police to cooperate with the investigation and immediately launch its own probe on the robbery. He also asked that a reshuffle of Taguig PNP be made pending the investigation.