Ombuds upholds decision to dismiss erring cop

The Office of the Ombudsman upheld its earlier decision dismissing a policeman assigned to the vice control section who was found guilty of grave misconduct.

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez approved the decision of the deputy ombudsman for the military to deny the motion for reconsideration filed by PO3 Paquito Monterroyo.

In a two-page order, Gutierrez upheld Monterroyo’s dismissal from service because of “grave misconduct tantamount to being notoriously undesirable.”

The anti-graft office ruled that Monterroyo be dismissed from the service on June 22, 2005 after he was found guilty of extorting P300,000 from a suspected drug trader in Lapu-Lapu City in August 2003.

Monterroyo, however, assailed his dismissal claiming that he was not afforded with due process of law and that the case against him has violated the principle of forum shopping.

But the ombudsman for the military said that while it was established that there was forum shopping, it was belatedly raised. Aside from this, the anti-graft office said Monterroyo did not present any other evidence to warrant the reversal of its earlier decision.

The Ombudsman added that Monterroyo could not claim he was not afforded due process because he was given ample time to submit his counter affidavit but did not do it.

On top of his being dismissed from the police service, the anti-graft office also ordered for the cancellation of Monterroyo’s eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits and disqualification of re-employment in the government service.

The National Bureau of Investigation arrested Monterroyo during an entrapment in 2003 for extorting P300,000 from Muslim trader Meno Disomundeg.

Disomundeg said he had to cough up P18,000 and 3,000 yen after Monterroyo and his companions accused him of being involved in the illegal drugs trade. – Fred P. Languido/QSB