5 cops linked to shabu tiangge defiant

Five police officials who were among the 22 policemen tagged as protectors of suspected drug baron Amin Imam Boratong, the alleged operator of the dismantled shabu tiangge in Pasig City, have snubbed orders for them to be reassigned to the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) headquarters in Bicutan, Taguig City.

NCRPO chief Director Reynaldo Varilla threatened to list the five policemen, four of them officers, absent without leave (AWOL) if they continue to defy orders for them to report to the Regional Headquarters Support Group (RHSG) this week.

Varilla has created Task Force Talipapa to investigate claims by government witness Samer Palao that the 22 policemen were in Boratong’s allege payroll.

Task Force Talipapa commander Chief Superintendent Rey Roderos issued orders last Oct. 13 directing the 22 policemen to report to the RHSG and present themselves to NCRPO investigators.

But as of 2 p.m. yesterday, the four police officials and an enlisted man were not been accounted for, according to a report reaching Varilla.

The report claimed that eight policemen reported to the RHSG this week while two others were already been assigned in the unit.

Three of the policemen linked to Boratong were assigned to the Headquarters Support Service (HSS) in Camp Crame, and two each at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF).

The seven policemen were presently assigned at holding centers, meaning they are not on duty and can therefore available to NCRPO investigators.

Among those who reported to the RHSG was PO2 Ramil Along, who was already listed as AWOL by the Southern Police District after he failed to report for duty since Sept. 9.

Along will also be investigated why he had gone AWOL, a police official said.

Boratong, his wife, Mimie, Along and Nasser Labay were facing murder charges for the killing of informant German Colisao, whom they caught spiriting a digital camera inside the shabu tiangge located at F. Soriano St., Sitio Mapayapa in barangay Sto. Tomas.

Government agents raided the shabu tiangge on Feb. 10. Four months later, Palao surfaced and revealed to police the extent of Boratong’s drug trafficking activities, including the involvement of the 22 policemen.

The 22 policemen were transferred to other police units of the NCRPO after the raid to prevent them from tampering with evidence and harassing potential witnesses.

But Varilla wanted them reassigned to the RSHG so they could be disarmed and present themselves to NCRPO investigators when needed.

A police official said that a week after receiving their relief orders, the NCRPO can place the four officers and an enlisted man on AWOL status.

"We are giving them a grace period of a few days on grounds that they might not have received their relief notices or other notices," he said.