Dismissed cop in hot water

A dismissed policeman was slapped with multiple charges yesterday following a near-fatal encounter with operatives of the Western Police District (WPD) in Ermita, Manila.

Manuel Roldan Jr., 32, of Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City and formerly assigned at the PNP Computer Center in Camp Crame, was formally charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition as well as grave threats before the Manila Prosecutor’s Office based on the complaint filed by operatives of the WPD-District Police Intelligence Unit (DPIU).

Roldan’s civilian companion, Robert Lim, 53, of Binondo, Manila, also faces charges of illegal possession of firearms and illegal use of an electronic siren.

WPD-DPIU chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula said that at about 4:30 p.m. last Tuesday a green Honda CRV (WCC-976) with siren and a black BMW sedan without license plates almost collided with the vehicle of his men along P. Casal street in Ermita, Manila.

Sapitula said Roldan got off from the BMW and angrily castigated his men for "unduly delaying his VIP guest." After apologizing to Roldan, the DPIU operatives left the scene, but for still unknown reasons both the suspects’ vehicles, with their sirens blaring, pursued the policemen. When they caught with the DPIU vehicle, Roldan allegedly pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the police officers, Sapitula said in his report.

The policemen instinctively pulled out their handguns and identified themselves. But instead of pulling over, the two cars tried to make a getaway but were blocked by the police vehicle. Roldan was disarmed of his caliber .45 pistol, which later turned out to be unlicensed. The two vehicles also yielded electronic sirens without proper authorization.

During investigation, Roldan introduced himself as a policeman detailed at the PNP Computer Center. However, verification made by the DPIU with the center’s Chief Inspector Bernadita Divina revealed that Roldan had been dismissed from service in 2000 after he was implicated in a pyramid scam as owner of Glasco Credit and Collection Services Inc., which allegedly defrauded several personnel of the PNP and the AFP.

Roldan, for his part, said he was already cleared of the accusations by the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation after paying off his creditors. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe