Seven police officers from Caloocan City were dismissed from the service on Wednesday, Dec. 10, after the National Police Commission (Napolcom) found them liable for misconduct linked to the death of Dion Angelo Dela Rosa, who contracted leptospirosis while searching for his detained father.

In a press briefing, Napolcom said the teenager had waded through floodwaters while looking for his father, who was illegally detained by the officers.

The commission found the police personnel guilty of grave misconduct, grave dishonesty, incompetence, oppression, and conduct unbecoming of a police officer.

Napolcom Vice Chairperson and Executive Officer Commissioner Rafael Vicente Calinisan said the ruling should serve as a warning to erring officers.

“Magsilbing leksyon ito sa mga pulis na gumagawa ng kalokohan. May katapusan na kayo. Nagbabantay tayo. Hindi natin hahayaan na ang ilang elementong sumisira sa imahe ng pulis ay manaig (Let this serve as a lesson to police officers who commit wrongdoing. Your actions will catch up to you. We are watching. We will not allow elements that tarnish the image of the police to prevail),” Calinisan said.

Authorities said the violations included the unlawful detention of Dion’s father, falsification of official records, and the filing of fabricated charges.

Caloocan Bishop and Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David welcomed the ruling and described it as a rare example of swift administrative justice.

“Isa pa sa kinatutuwa ko dito sa desisyon na ito, mabilis na resolution. Parang nagkakaroon ng pag-asa ang mga dukha na nabu-bully ng scalawags sa kapulisan (What I am particularly pleased about in this decision is the speedy resolution. It gives hope to the poor who are bullied by rogue elements in the police),” the cardinal said.

“Isipin ninyo ang daan-daan at libo-libong kababayan natin na nasa ganyang kalagayan, na hindi ma-afford ang hustisya. Nakakagalit ang injustice na kailangan harapin ng mga taong dukha (Think of the hundreds and thousands of our fellow citizens in that situation who cannot afford justice. It is infuriating to see the injustice that the poor are forced to endure),” he added.

Calinisan clarified that the dismissal of the seven officers should not be viewed as an attack on the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“Let this not be construed as an act against policemen—hindi po. Ito ay nakakatulong sa ating mga pulis (Let this not be construed as an action against the police—no. This is actually beneficial to our police force),” he said.

“Hindi natin kaaway ang kapulisan. Kailangan lang talagang tanggalin sa pagpupulis ang mga walang hiya na sumisira sa uniporme at imahe. Isang morale booster ito para sa mga upright (The police are not our enemies. We simply need to remove from the service those who disgrace the uniform and its image. This serves as a morale booster for upright officers),” Calinisan added.

The incident occurred on July 22, when Dion’s father went missing. Dion and his mother, Jennylyn — who is blind in one eye — searched for him across flooded areas of Malabon, Navotas, and Caloocan.

They later learned that Dion’s father had been arrested by Caloocan police for allegedly playing cara y cruz, a traditional street coin game, and was charged under Presidential Decree 1602, the law against illegal gambling.

READ:

Earlier, the Caloocan City Police Station (CCPS) denied on Aug. 5 that the death of the young man from leptospirosis was linked to the arrest of his father.

The statement was issued in response to a viral social media post claiming that the student contracted the disease after repeatedly wading through floodwaters while searching for his missing father, who was later discovered to be in police custody for a minor gambling offense.

“Based on verified reports and timelines, the unfortunate death of the youth due to leptospirosis is not related to the arrest of the father. The health-related incident occurred under different circumstances that have no causal connection to the police operation,” the CCPS said.

READ: