Over missing sabungeros
LAGUNA, Philippines — The police director in this province and three members of the intelligence unit have been relieved from their posts in connection with missing cockfight players in San Pablo City and Sta. Cruz town.
Col. Rogarth Campo was ordered relieved by Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief of the Directorial Staff, according to Maj. Mary Ann Torres, Calabarzon police spokesperson.
Col. Ramos Ison, who is assigned with the Soccksargen police, replaced Ocampo.
Torres said Campo was ordered to report to the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit at the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management.
Meanwhile, Calabarzon police director Brig. Gen. Antonio Yarra ordered the relief of Pat. Roy Navarete, S/Sgt. Daryl Paghangaan and M/Sgt. Michael Claveria.
Navarette and Paghangaan were identified as among the armed men who allegedly kidnapped cockfight player Ricardo Lasco in San Pablo, Laguna last Aug. 30.
Claveria was accused of fabricating drug charges against two other sabungeros.
“The accusation against our personnel as to their participation in the missing sabungeros is a serious matter and our leadership will not stop until the truth will come out and bring justice to the victims. If we find enough evidence to charge them, we will do so. The PNP has no room for erring personnel,” Yarra said.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the PNP regional Internal Affairs Service has started its investigation of the policemen and their immediate superiors.
Pawned baby rescued
As this developed, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) rescued the eigh-month-old baby allegedly pawned by her mother to pay for a debt she incurred in online cockfight or e-sabong.
Nigerian citizen Ifenayi Okoro and his partner Imelda Malibiran were arrested in a rescue operation in Barangay Gatid in Sta. Cruz.
The two were charged with kidnapping and violation of the Special Protection Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination and Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act before the Department of Justice yesterday.
NBI human trafficking division chief Janet Francisco said the Department of Social Welfare and Development would assess if the parents of the child are still capable of caring for the baby. – Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Evelyn Macairan