CEBU CITY – A stern warning was issued against personnel of the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO 7) after one of their colleagues was allegedly caught engaged in illegal drug activities.
Police Patrolman Apollo Baisac Concepcion, 41, was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Poblacion, Badian, Cebu Tuesday, Aug. 23.
The policeman’s alleged cohorts, Charisse Uy Ylayan, 34, and Raphael Jose Legarde, 21, were also arrested.
Concepcion, a native of Alegria, Cebu, joined the police service on Dec. 1, 2010 and was assigned to the Operation Management Unit of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO).
Concepcion was arrested by fellow policemen after he allegedly sold a medium-sized pack containing suspected shabu worth P2,000 to a poseur-buyer.
A large pack of suspected shabu was seized from the policeman’s possession, police said.
Ylayan and Legarde each yielded a one sachet of suspected shabu, police added.
The suspected shabu seized from the three suspects amounted to P136,000, police said.
The operation was conducted by operatives of the Badian Police Station and the CPPO Intelligence Unit and Drug Enforcement Unit.
Police Brig. Gen. Eduardo Roque Vega, chief of the PRO 7, said Concepcion’s arrest should serve as a warning to other policemen.
“Under my watch, I will not tolerate any wrongdoings of either my uniformed or non-uniformed personnel. They will face the consequences of their actions. Let this serve as a warning,” Vega said.
The suspects were detained at the Badian Municipal Police Station pending the filing of charges against them.
“I directed the Officer-in-Charge of CPPO to exercise disciplinary authority over the said PNP (Philippine National Police) personnel. Aligned with the Chief PNP's guidance, instilling discipline is a routine action that is taken priority to implant integrity in our work,” Vega said.