2 cops ‘protecting’ pushers under probe

CEBU, Philippines - The director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office is now looking into reports of two policemen allegedly involved in accepting money in exchange for the protection of drug pushers in Camotes Islands.

Senior Superintendent Clifford Gairanod, CPPO director, said the allegations involve a police non-commissioned officer and a police official in San Francisco town in Camotes whose names he refused to divulge.

Gairanod said the reports have already reached the director of the Police Regional Office-7, Chief Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan, who then directed them to make an investigation.

Gairanod said the names of the police officers surfaced after the Provincial Intelligence Branch recently conducted an anti-illegal drug operation in the island that resulted in the arrest of the members of Arquillano family, including the mother, Maria Jocelyn.

It was in that same operation that the operatives found receipts of money remittance that contain the names of the police officers who were each sent P5,000.

Gairanod said he also suspects that these police officers were also the tipsters of drug pushers in the island who manage to escape before operatives can conduct an operation in their area.

According to Gairanod, he had long wanted to relieve the two policemen from their post but this was delayed because they got busy for the Sinulog.

He said the two will surely be relieved from San Francisco Police Station so that they could not affect the investigation.

If the accusation against the two will be proven, they will surely experience the consequences of their violation, warned the CPPO director.

Furthermore, CPPO is now also monitoring the places under their jurisdiction that harbor notorious drug pushers who might use politicians for their illegal activities in the coming elections.

This after finding out that suspected drug pusher Joel Gentica, who was able to escape during an operation on Monday, is also involved in unsolved murder cases in the towns of Naga and San Fernando, Cebu.

The operation, though, led to the arrest of 25 men and confiscation of around P1.1 million worth of suspected shabu, a KG9 submachine pistol and hand grenades.

Gairanod suspects that there are politicians who would connive with these drug pushers to get money for their political campaign.

 “We are even eyeing some municipalities here in Cebu province, ‘yung mga goons nila (politicians) ay ‘yung mga drug pusher mismo or users. Continue pa rin ‘yung monitoring natin,” said Gairanod.

The CPPO director said the public should expect an intensified campaign against illegal drugs in the province. — (FREEMAN)