Five police officers will face criminal and administrative raps for allegedly stealing P14 million in cash from a private contractor in Porac, Pampanga, the Police Regional Office-Central Luzon (PRO 3) said Friday.
‘I created a special investigation task group so we can closely monitor all angles of the investigation. Hopefully, we can file a case against the identified suspects this afternoon,’ PRO 3 Director Brig. Gen. Ponce Rogelio Peñones Jr. said in Filipino in a phone interview with reporters.
‘Those are criminal and administrative cases. That’s automatic, especially in this situation. Once we file the criminal case, the administrative case follows automatically. We will pursue grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer. That will really be for dismissal,’ he added.
Peñones did not specify which criminal cases would be filed.
The PRO 3 director said the allegedly involved officers have been relieved from their posts and placed under restrictive custody while the investigation is ongoing.
He added that police can only file cases through regular filing since the incident occurred on Nov. 25.
Reported by fellow officers
Peñones said the report came from Angeles City Police Station 2, naming a police major, two police corporals, and two police staff sergeants.
One of the corporals was assigned to the Zambales Provincial Police Office but had previously been assigned to Angeles City Police Station 2.
‘Of the five officers, I found that three had previous derogatory records. One was involved in a shooting incident. Another, if I remember correctly, was also involved in robbery-extortion,’ he said in Filipino, without elaborating.
‘It reinforces our theory that they are one group,’ he added.
Peñones said the officers, except for the police major, entered the contractor’s home in Barangay Santa Cruz in Porac on the night of Nov. 25 while wearing face coverings.
He said the officers forced the contractor, her family, and her guests into a comfort room while they took P14 million in cash.
Although the police major was not seen on security footage entering the home, Peñones said he may have been the mastermind.
‘This was not an operation. They did not have any pre-operation documents. They were really just there to steal. And we are also looking into possible civilian involvement,’ he said in Filipino.
Asked about the contractor’s background, Peñones said, ‘This person is not involved in flood control. She is just an ordinary contractor. Normally, contractors keep cash on hand so they can quickly pay their workers,’ he said in Filipino.