At least six policemen assigned to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) are facing not only dismissal from the service but also jail time over the missing P13 million from the money seized in a raid on a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Bataan last year.

A total of P141.1 million cash were seized from the POGO hub in Bataan in October last year and when the court ruled that the operation was illegal and asked the police to return the money, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the inventory of the money revealed that around P13 million is missing.

“Out of the P141 million, only P128 million was left. What’s left in the other box was boodle money,” said Remulla in a press briefing at Camp Crame.

“After careful investigation, the eight members involved in the cover up of the crime, of the pilferage of the evidence have been identified, we have already determined who the culprits are,” he added.

Timeline

Police Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II said it all started on Oct. 29 last year when CIDG operatives and agents of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) raided an alleged POGO hub in Bataan by virtue of a search warrant for possible qualified human trafficking violations.

The raid yielded a total of P141,133,483 cash money from the POGO hub and this was kept at the CIDG for safekeeping.

When Morico assumed the top CIDG post in September this year, he said he immediately ordered an inventory of all cases and pieces of evidence under the custody of the unit.

On Sept. 25, the newly-designated evidence custodian of the CIDG discovered that nine boxes full of cash were not included in the inventory list and were in fact missing.

This led to a thorough investigation which resulted in the discovery that the nine boxes of cash were brought home by the former CIDG custodian.

The nine boxes were later taken back to the CIDG but during that time, Morico explained that they could not open the boxes since they were all sealed with a sign of the judge handling the case.

The discovery

On Nov. 19, a court ruled that the search at the POGO hub was illegal and ordered the CIDG to return the pieces of evidence confiscated, including the P141 million in cash, to the company.

This became the opportunity for the CIDG to check the content of the boxes and during the inventory prior to the turnover to the owner of the money, it was found out that P13 million was missing.

The P13 million cash that was supposed to be in one box was replaced by boodle money, or what national police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr. described as the one being used in buy-bust operation.

This led to the investigation and on Tuesday, Dec 2, thje DILG and the PNP held a press conference and announced the result of the initial probe.

The admission

One of the six CIDG operatives, a rookie policeman, admitted during the investigation that they indeed took P13 million and divided them among themselves, referring to the policemen involved.

“Based on the result of the investigation this is the amount they have divided from among themselves,” said Morico.

While only six cops were named, Morico said they expanded the investigation to include two more, including the police lieutenant colonel who brought the boxes of money home.

All the six policemen, according to Nartatez, were already placed under restrictive custody.

Charges

On Nov. 29, Morico said they already filed a string of criminal charges against all the six policemen involved. 

The charges are violation of Article 310, or Qualified Theft; violation of Article 217, or Malversation of Public Funds; violation of Article 228, or Opening of Closed Documents; violation of Article 171, or Falsification of Public Documents; and, violation of Article 168 in relation to Article 166, or the Illegal Possession or Use of False Treasury Notes or Bank Notes.

“Among the targets of the administrative case that will be filed is grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service, negligence or violation of PNP evidence handling protocol,” said Morico.

Still liable 

Even if there is an intention for the six cops to return what they stole, Nartatez said charges will still be pursued since a crime was committed.

“It will not diminish the act or erase the act. Damage has been done. The act had been done. Our police operational procedure is clear,” said Nartatez.

For his part, National Police Commission vice chairman and executive officer Ralph Calinisan said the return or money or confession will not spare the policemen from criminal and administrative liability.

“You cannot undo the act. You are criminally and administratively liable for doing what you have done,” said Calinisan, adding that the offense was serious since it involves infidelity as custodians of evidence.