NCRPO chief itches to dismiss cops for EDSA heist

MANILA, Philippines – Metro Manila police head Director Carmelo Valmoria wants the summary dismissal proceedings against the policemen tagged in the EDSA brigandage case to be expedited.

In an interview on the sidelines of a recent visit in Quezon City, Valmoria told The STAR that the maximum period for such proceedings is 60 days.

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD), to which eight of the policemen belong, submitted the recommendation for the police officers’ dismissal from the service on Sept. 16.

The ones from the QCPD were 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.

The QCPD recommended that they be dismissed from the service for grave misconduct.

The ninth police officer, Senior Inspector Alan Emlano – who was absent without leave from the Northern Police District and is now with the NCRPO’s administrative holding unit – has also been recommended to be dismissed from the service, according to Valmoria.

It is the regional director – in this case, Valmoria as director of the NCRPO – who has the power to act on cases of grave misconduct. Such offense is punishable with dismissal from the police service.

Valmoria said the summary dismissal hearings against the suspects are ongoing. “I want the proceedings expedited, precisely because these should be summary in nature,” he said.

But Valmoria said they were still giving the police officers in active service the chance to air their side.

“We want to follow due process,” Valmoria said.

The 10th suspect in the case is dismissed Inspector Marco Polo Estrera. Only Estrera has not surfaced since they were tagged in the Sept. 1 incident.

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

The 10 men are also facing criminal charges of brigandage or highway robbery after they were accused of snatching two men in a sport utility vehicle along EDSA on Sept. 1, allegedly taking more than P2 million from the victims.

A photo of the incident was taken by a motorist, who uploaded it on Twitter, leading to the police investigation that resulted in the identification of the suspects.