MANILA, Philippines – Two high-ranking police officials were relieved from their posts on Wednesday (March 6) following the arrest of their officers over alleged extortion and kidnap-for-ransom claims.
According to National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director MGen. Guillermo Eleazar, Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde personally ordered the relief of Eastern Police District Director Brigadier General Bernabe Balba and Pasay Police Chief Col. Noel Flores for command responsibility.
This means that they were sanctioned for the fault of their subordinates whom they are supposed to lead. A PNP Commander is presumed to have knowledge if the illegal acts under areas of his jurisdiction are committed repeatedly and by his immediate staff of personnel.
Eleazar said CALABARZON Deputy Regional Director for Administration Col. Christopher Tambungan will replace Balba as EPD Chief while NCRPO Regional Operations and Plans Division Head Col. Bernard Yang will take Flores’ post.
15 other Pasay cops that were members of the EPD Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) were also sacked, as well as the 27 members of Pasay Police Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET).
“So, the commanders in all levels must do everything [and] he can to see to it that the drug enforcement unit personnel is monitored to prevent abuse,” Eleazar said.
The relief order follows the arrests of Police Corporal Marlou Quibete from EPD DEU on Tuesday, and Police Corporal Anwar Nasser on Wednesday morning during an entrapment operation for alleged extortion claims.
Quibete and his team were accused of extorting P60,000 from the family of a drug suspect they arrested in Marikina City in exchange for freedom. The same was allegedly done by Nasser with some of the members of Pasay City Police SDET, who supposedly asked for P100,000 from another drug suspect arrested in Makati City.
Police conducted the entrapment operation early Wednesday following a complaint from the family of a detained drug suspect. Nasser was arrested during the string but the three other cops who were with him evaded arrest along with the extorted money.
“You have until today to surrender or else bahala na ang Dios sa inyo,” PNP Counter Intelligence Task Force Commander Col. Romeo Caramat said as he urged the three cops to surrender and answer the extortion complaints filed against them.
Nasser and his three alleged cohorts will face kidnapping charges while some of the cops involved will be slapped with administrative and robbery extortion charges. – Robie de Guzman (with reports from Lea Ylagan and Asher Cadapan Jr.)
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