8 ‘Hulidap’ cops face dismissal

MANILA, Philippines - The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) has recommended the dismissal from the service of eight police officers implicated in the EDSA “hulidap” case.

To be dismissed from the police service are Chief Inspector Joseph de Vera, Senior Inspector Oliver Villanueva, Senior Police Officer 1 Ramil Hachero, and Police Officers 2 Weavin Masa, Ebonn Decatoria, Mark de Paz, Jerome Datinguinoo and Jonathan Rodriguez.

QCPD director Chief Superintendent Richard Albano said the eight policemen were charged with grave misconduct before the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) following the pre-charge investigation conducted by the QCPD.

It is the regional director – in this case, NCRPO chief Director Carmelo Valmoria – who has the power to act on cases of grave misconduct.

Such offense is punishable with dismissal from the service.

De Vera was deputy commander of the QCPD Station 1, which covers the La Loma area, while Villanueva was head of the investigation unit of the same police station.

De Paz, Decatoria, Datinguinoo, Masa and Hachero all belonged to the QCPD-Station 1. Rodriguez was from the QCPD’s District Public Safety Battalion.

Apart from Villanueva, who yielded only last Thursday, the other suspects were accounted for within a week after they were implicated in the case.

Ten men were implicated, the other two being Senior Inspector Alan Emlano of the Northern Police District and dismissed Inspector Marco Polo Estrera. Emlano also yielded to the QCPD, while Estrera remains at large.

Villanueva, De Vera, Emlano and Estrera all belong to the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Class of 2001.

The suspects have been accused of forcibly taking two men from a sport utility vehicle (SUV) on Sept. 1 along EDSA in Mandaluyong City, and allegedly taking more than P2 million in cash from the victims.

A passing motorist took a photo of the incident and uploaded it on Twitter, leading to the police investigation that resulted in the identification of the suspects.

The suspects allegedly accosted and robbed two employees of a contractor from Lanao del Sur who had in their possession P2.1 million in cash that was supposed to be used to pay for a transit mixer at an auction in Subic.

Valmoria said he had approved last week the conduct of the pre-charge investigation against Villanueva and his co-accused, meaning the summary dismissal proceedings against them are underway.

Judge Carlos Valenzuela of the Mandaluyong City regional trial court (RTC) Branch 213 also scheduled the arraignment of the suspects.

The policemen were accused of carjacking, kidnapping and robbery in band.

Meanwhile, reports circulating among the PNPA alumni showed that Inspector Villanueva would file for optional retirement before the 2016 polls to run for mayor of Mabini, Batangas.

Villanueva is planning to replace his elder brother, Mabini Mayor Lino Villanueva of the Liberal Party and president of the Mayor’s League of the Philippines, who is on his third and last term.

However, The STAR source did not say whether the P2.1-million hulidap operation believed masterminded by Villanueva was part of his plan to raise money for his candidacy.

It was not clear if the younger Villanueva would push through with his political plans considering the bad publicity caused by the EDSA hulidap case. – Non Alquitran