The head of the National Capital Region unit of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and 12 others were sacked from their posts in connection with the alleged robbery extortion on a group of Chinese businessmen in Parañaque City on Monday night, March 13.
CIDG director Police Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat, Jr. said his order was based on the complaint of the victim who sought the assistance of Police Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, the deputy chief for Administration of the Philippine National Police (PNP), after CIDG operatives allegedly took expensive watches and other personal belongings.
The victims also told Sermonia that the CIDG operatives took P3 million from a vault and also demanded money from them in exchange for their freedom.
Sacked were Police Col. Hansel Marantan, director of the CIDG-NCR, two other officers and 10 Police Non-Commissioned Officers.
But Caramat was quick to clarify that the relief of Marantan was on the concept of command responsibility since those involved were his men.
“In fairness to Col Hansel Marantan, I just received a courtesy resignation being the regional chief of the NCR field unit. Maybe so as not to influence the investigation we are doing regarding the robbery extortion activity,” said Caramat.
“The matter is now being investigated. Their relief is an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) so as not to have undue influence over the case,” he added.
In an interview at Camp Crame, Sermonia said the policemen entered one of the houses of a Chinese businessman who was then playing mahjong with friends and fellow businessmen.
He said the cops told the victims that they went to the area over noise complaints of the neighbors.
“They started arresting those people and then allegedly, their offense was illegal gambling,” said Sermonia.
But he said the policemen allegedly took two expensive watches, a Patek Philippe and Richard Mille and other pieces of jewelry.
Sermonia said the policemen also took cash inside the vault worth P3 million.
“The 13 arrested personalities were brought here at the CIDG-NCR office (Camp Crame) and then in exchange for their freedom, according to the complainants, they gave money to our operatives,” said Sermonia.
Some of the jewelry, including the two expensive watches, were recovered.