The National Police Commission (Napolcom) again deferred releasing its decision in the administrative cases against 12 police officers allegedly involved in the reported kidnapping and killing of cockfighting enthusiasts (sabungeros).
‘The administrative cases are finished,’ Napolcom Executive Officer Rafael Calinisan told reporters in Filipino in an interview at their Quezon City office on Wednesday.
But, pressed on the resolution of the administrative case, Calinisan only said, ‘That’s all for now. We will make the proper announcement.’
Last October, the Napolcom executive officer said they already had a draft of the administrative cases’ resolution up for deliberation by the commission en banc, but they were waiting for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to first resolve the charges forwarded by state prosecutors.
Then, on Tuesday, the DOJ indicted gaming tycoon Ang and 21 others – including 14 police officers – for multiple counts of kidnapping.
Asked to react, Calinisan only said, ‘We’re happy that the criminal cases are now moving forward. As far as the National Police Commission is concerned, I only have one comment: we’re ready.’
‘We will just announce it at the proper time,’ he reiterated.
Last June, whistleblower Julie Patidongan, also known as Dondon or Totoy, claimed that Ang hired the police officers to kidnap and kill the sabungeros for allegedly cheating in the games.
Patidongan and several family members of the missing sabungeros filed an administrative complaint before Napolcom against the 12 officers last July 14, and the agency formally filed the charges against the cops last July 29.
Ang denied allegations last July, calling them ‘entirely false and without basis,’ and accusing Patidongan of attempting to extort P300 million from him, supposedly in exchange for not implicating the gaming tycoon in the case. /atm