‘Ghost cop’ identified

An alleged "ghost policeman" has been identified by the National Police Commission (Napolcom).

Senior Police Officer (SPO) 4 Francisco Bacierto Jr., was discovered to be working as a security officer for one of the country’s biggest banks while still an active member of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Napolcom officer-in-charge, Commissioner Linda Hornilla, said in a statement.

The Napolcom is set to file administrative and criminal charges against Bacierto, who would also be summarily dismissed by the commission.

The Napolcom conducted an investigation on Bacierto after it received a complaint from a certain Artemio Andres of Bulacan, who reported that the policeman has been working at the the Equitable-PCIBank Makati Avenue branch as its security head while still in active duty.

Records from the PNP Computer Service’s list of continuous form checks (CFCs) showed that he received his salary from August 1995 to September 2003, the statement said.

The PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM) confirmed that Bacierto remains in active duty.

The policeman entered the then Philippine Constabulary/Integrated National Police (PC/INP) in December 1980 and was later absorbed into the PNP with the rank of SPO4 in June 1991.

According to the statement, the bank issued a letter addressed to Napolcom’s Investigation Monitoring and Inspection Service (IMIS) chief Agaton Vergara, certifying that Bacierto was employed as head of its Security and Investigation Department Central Administration Division.

Bacierto holds the rank of senior manager from August 1995 to the present.

Bacierto has denied receiving salaries from the PNP in his response to the Napolcom investigation and said in his affidavit that his resignation from police service took effect on Oct. 14, 1996.

However, an administrative finance officer assigned at the office of PNP chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane submitted an affidavit to the Napolcom, admitting that she has been receiving Bacierto’s salary on his behalf.

This began since Bacierto was transferred to the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame in April 2001. The witness would encash Bacierto’s check and give the money to him personally at Camp Crame.

Bacierto was even granted a P70,000 loan by the Armed Forces and Police Savings and Loan Association, Inc. (AFPSLAI) on July 9, 2001, as reflected in his loan ledger.

Hornilla said the policeman violated RA 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, for moonlighting and Napolcom Circular No. 93-024 prohibiting PNP members from ‘engaging in remunerative or gainful occupation or activity during off duty hours without the approval of proper authority.