CAMP OLIVAS – Central Luzon police director Chief Supt. Amador V. Corpus on Wednesday ordered the immediate relief of Magalang town’s chief of police following robbery-extortion charges filed against a member of the town’s police force in an illegal drug case.
Corpuz relieved Magalang chief of police Supt. Al Cabauatan as a matter of standard operating procedure of PNP on the relief and reassignment of unit commanders while an in-depth probe is being conducted by PRO3.
Corpuz said on Tuesday a member of the Magalang police, SPO1 Jessie Mancilla Lopez, was arrested in an entrapment operation conducted by operatives of Pampanga Police Provincial Office and personnel of Provincial Public Safety Company in Brgy San Nicolas 1, Magalang town.
The entrapment operation was launched after the complainant identified as Maricar Tapnio Canlapan, 38, married, a resident of Brgy. San Nicolas II, Magalang, Pampanga reported to an operating team that Senior Insp. Philipp A. Pelle and SPO1 Lopez, both assigned at Magalang Police Station, demanded money amounting to P30,000 as settlement for the Illegal Drug Case filed against her husband, Roel Guinto Canlapan.
Seized from the possession of SPO1 Lopez are P30,000 marked money, two units of cellular phone and the service firearm described as NORINCO Cal. 45 bearing serial number BA03791 with magazine and 11 pieces of ammunition.
A case for Violation of Article 293 of the Revised Penal Code (Robbery Extortion) will be filed before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor, City of San Fernando, Pampanga against Lopez and Pelle, who were nowhere to be found during the police operation.
“This move of filing charges, disciplining and dismissing erring police personnel shows efforts of the PNP in removing bad eggs in the police force, and that the rule of law does not distinguish rank, position or popularity whether victim or respondent in the PNP organization.
This is a clear manifestation of our keen determination to remove misfits among the ranks of our organization”, Corpus added.