Investigators check payback, drugs in woman cop’s ambush

MANILA, Philippines - Investigators are looking into vengeance and illegal drugs as possible motives for an ambush on a policewoman in Pasig City Wednesday, an official said yesterday.

Senior Inspector Oscar Mansibang, chief of the Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) of the Eastern Police District (EPD) said they arrived at the theories after talking with people close to the victim, Police Officer 1 Loida del Mundo, assigned at the Women’s and Children’s Desk of the San Mateo, Rizal police.

Mansibang said Del Mundo’s partner, SPO1 Edwin Matibag of the Southern Police District’s District Special Operations Unit, told them the victim has filed charges against a police official assigned in Rizal provincial office for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl in San Mateo town four years ago.

The police official was sacked from the police service but his criminal case is still pending before the Morong municipal trial court.

Mansibang clarified that they are not yet considering the police official as a suspect in Del Mundo’s ambush in Barangay Bambang at about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. Matibag said Del Mundo also received a text message warning her that “she would be found floating at a river” days before the ambush try.

According to Mansibang, Del Mundo was previously listed as absent without leave while she was still assigned at the Cainta police station. She was reinstated and was reassigned at the Women’s and Children’s Desk of the San Mateo police.

SPO3 Gimener Tingne of the EPD-CIU said they are also investigating allegations that Del Mundo is involved in the illegal drug trade.

“We received reports that a certain policewoman using an alias Loida is involved in the illegal drug trade. However, we have not ascertained it yet whether the Loida the report was referring to was PO1 Del Mundo,” Tingne said.