CEBU CITY—"Shape up or ship out."
This was the stern warning given by Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO 7) regional director Brigadier General Roque Eduardo Vega to a policeman and his cohort who were arrested for allegedly stealing cable wires.
The PRO 7 reported that S/Sgt. Joel Superales Soliva, 37, and Peter Lou Catulog Bantilo, 23, were caught stealing cable wires owned by a telecommunications company in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City on May 28.
The 4.5-meter cable wire that was seized from the policeman and his cohort were estimated to cost P50,000.
Soliva is assigned at PRO 7’s Drug Enforcement Group Special Operations Unit. He is a native of Sagbayan, Bohol but is temporarily residing in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City.
The PRO 7 said Soliva entered the service in 2012.
The arresting authorities seized the erring policeman’s loaded 9mm Glock pistol, as well as the policeman’s Professional Regulation Commission ID, and a blue Suzuki multi-cab pickup vehicle.
In a statement, PRO 7 chief Brig. General Vega expressed disappointment over the incident.
“I have warned you from the very start of my leadership but there are still some who continue to abuse their authority,” said Vega.
“If you care for your family, stop doing illegal activities. Don’t wait for the law to catch up on you,” added Vega, who reminded the members of the Philippine National Police of the organization’s massive internal cleansing program.
“Shape up or ship out,” he said.
Soliva was detained at the Police Station 9 of the Cebu City Police Office pending the formal filing of charges against him, the PRO 7 said.