Cop chief who ‘slept with inmate’ dismissed

CEBU, Philippines —  The former police chief of Argao town, southern Cebu, who was arrested for letting two female inmates sleep in his office, one of whom allegedly his lover, has been given 15 days to file a motion for reconsideration after his dismissal papers have been signed.

“Today, I signed the dismissal order against the former chief of police of Argao, Major Ildefonso Miranda,” Police Regional Office-7 Director Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro told reporters in a press briefing yesterday.

Ildefonso became controversial when he was arrested last March 5 for illegally confining two female detainees not in a detention cell but in his office.

Miranda was apprehended by operatives of the Philippine National Police Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) at the police station in Barangay Poblacion late that night.

The IMEG said the 46-year-old police official was allegedly having a sexual relationship with the inmate “in exchange for her privilege to sleep in his air-conditioned office.” The other detainee acts as Miranda’s “helper.”

Miranda, for his part, said he was not ashamed of what happened because he did not commit a heinous crime. He said his only mistake was he fell in love.

“Wala man ko maulaw sa akong nahiaguman tungod kay dili man ni heinous crime. Ang akong sayop tungod kay nahigugma ra ko,” he told the Freeman.

This, according to Ferro, amounts to a conduct unbecoming a police officer, as well as grave misconduct in violation of Section 3 of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The same charges may forfeit the retirement benefits of Miranda.

Ferro, however, emphasized that as part of due process, Miranda will be given 15 days to answer and file his motion for reconsideration on the decision to dismiss him from the service.

"But because of the evidence that we gathered, he cannot (possibly) explain on how and why the inmates were in his room and the aggravating circumstances to that effect,” Ferro said.

With this, top police officials will be pushing for Miranda’s dismissal pending his motion for reconsideration.

“That's what we want for our mga badlungon nga mga police. We will dismiss them so we will maintain the discipline and professionalism of our police force,” Ferro said.

Meanwhile, Ferro also assured the public that they continue to function as the primary law enforcers in Central Visayas amid their responsibility in the security deployment for the COVID-19 crisis.  JMD (FREEMAN)