Cop, village exec face ax over Caloocan drug dens

MANILA, Philippines - Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan ordered the relief of a police precinct commander yesterday, a day after police raided 10 drug dens in Barangay 188 and arrested 21 persons suspected to be drug traffickers, contract killers and car thieves.

Vice Mayor Macario Asistio III said the city council will convene on Tuesday and pass a resolution to investigate Barangay 188 chairman Edris Domato, the barangay council and watchmen for allegedly protecting criminals in the barangay since 2013.

“The city council has the power to suspend and relieve any erring barangay official,” he said.

Malapitan said he ordered city police chief Senior Superintendent Bartolome Bustamante to “administratively relieve” Chief Inspector Carol Macawili, Tala Police Community Precinct 4 commander, while the investigation into the drug dens is ongoing.

“We are also looking at other police officials in the area who could also be protecting the criminal elements,” he told The STAR.

Senior Inspector Celso Sevilla was tapped to replace Macawili.

Malapitan said he will also secure a search warrant to verify information that the bodies of police informants who went missing are buried in the area.