5 Caloocan cops sacked over botched drug sting

MANILA, Philippines - Caloocan City police chief Senior Superintendent Bartolome Bustamante has ordered the relief of the city’s anti-illegal drug unit chief and four of his men in connection with a failed sting in Baguio City last month that left a suspect dead and two policemen wounded.

Bustamante said yesterday he has not tapped anyone to replace Inspector Virgilio Platon and is considering the abolition of the unit.

Also relieved were Police Officers 1 Kenneth Geronimo and Czeron Nero Masadia, Police Officer 3 Moammar Concepcion, and Senior Police Officer 2 Elmar Orulfo.

Orulfo was identified last July by a businessman as one of the members of the Caloocan anti-illegal drug unit who reportedly arrested and extorted P2 million from him.

Another policeman, Police Officer 3 Dan Fermalino, reportedly assigned at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), was also said to be involved in the operation and was with his family and brother-in-law when the shootout happened.

Kept in the dark

According to Bustamante, Platon ordered a sting to catch three subjects – only identified as Buloy, Bong Perez and Bodet – without informing him before or after the operation was staged.

He said when he summoned Platon, the latter told him that his operatives arranged a sting involving P1 million worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu at a supermarket in Monumento on Aug. 29, but the actual exchange fell through and was moved to Baguio City.

Platon said two groups were initially formed to go to Baguio but it was Orulfo’s team, which included Fermalino and his family, who went ahead and the others were left behind waiting “for further instruction.”

Botched deal

The group arrived in Baguio in three sport utility vehicles Sunday morning and stayed at Burnham Park before proceeding to a house for transients in Cresencia Village that was rented by Fermalino.

It was not clear why Fermalino was with the Caloocan policemen, but Bustamante said his Muslim wife was the asset and the police officer was knowledgeable in the illegal drug trade in the city.

He added that Fermalino and his family were supposed to go on vacation after the operation.

In his report, Platon told Bustamante that the sting was aborted because the targets refused to meet with the poseur-buyer.

He said Orolfo and Concepcion decided to stay in Baguio to rest and “they were advised to inform Fermalino, who was resting with his family, that the mission was aborted.”

Platon added that the second group was also informed and Geronimo and Masadia went back to Manila.

Unexpected visitor

According to Platon, while Orolfo and Concepcion were in Fermalino’s unit a certain Yasser Dimaren Macalandap knocked and started shooting as soon as Ismael Sandangan, Fermalino’s brother-in-law, opened the door.

Fermalino was hit three times while Sandangan was hit once during the initial volley.

Platon said Concepcion, without pulling his gun from his shoulder bag, grabbed Macalandap’s gun as Fermalino managed to fire his gun and hit their assailant. Fermalino also accidentally hit Concepcion in the elbow.

Fermalino was rushed to the Pines City Doctors Hospital while Orolfo carried Concepcion to their car and rushed back to Manila, leaving the crime scene behind.

After hours of travelling, Orolfo brought Concepcion to the MCU Hospital in Caloocan, infoming Platon of the incident along the way.

Bustamante said Platon turned off his mobile phone after learning that one of his men was wounded.

 PDEA informed

Platon said a pre-operation and coordination form dated Aug. 30 that was sent to and approved by the Philippine Drug Enforcement (PDEA) was signed by deputy director general for operation Abe Lemos.

A source at the PDEA confirmed that the certificate of coordination obtained by The STAR was authentic.

The STAR also obtained the certificate of operation and several papers concerning the pre-operation reports, which were signed by Bustamante himself.

Bustamante, however, said Platon might have used a pre-coordination paper he previously signed but “was not really informed by his men before and after the fact.”

“I cannot be in my office 24/7 so there are times when I sign pre-operation forms with the understanding that they will coordinate and report to me before they operate,” he told The STAR.

More questions than answers

Bustamante said there are more questions that Platon and his men have to face.

He wants to know why the operatives left Baguio in haste after the shooting and did not report the incident to the Baguio police.

“Why do they have to bring Concepcion to Manila for treatment? Aren’t there enough hospitals in Baguio or along the way that they have to bring their wounded buddy to Caloocan? Why did Platon turn off his cell phone after the incident?” Bustamante said.

A high-ranking official told The STAR that Platon and his men “deliberately left out the COP (chief of police) in the cold because they were up to something.”

“If they have nothing to hide, why not inform their immediate commander?” he said.

Platon also questioned how Macalandap ended up shooting at Fermalino when he was not one of the police team’s targets.