Ombuds orders 3 cops dismissed from service

CEBU - The Office of the Ombudsman announced the dismissal of three police officials for alleged graft and corruption charges and suspended three other police officers for various offenses.

Ordered dismissed from the active service were Chief Supt. Manuel Cabigon of the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame, Sr. Insp. Claro Benatiro and PO2 Antonio Aguisanda of the Cebu Provincial Police Office and police officer Randy Apolinar of the Mandaue City police traffic section.

The Ombudsman also meted six-month suspensions against Supt. Sales Zaragosa and SPO1 Romulo Sasing of Consolacion Police Station and PO3 Rovillo Librado of Mandaue City police traffic group.

Cabigon, who was assigned in Cebu during his junior years, was dismissed for grave misconduct after allegedly receiving P600,000 from the owner of a security agency to secure a service contract with the National Mental Hospital in Mandaluyong City.

The security agency officials gave the amount to Cabigon on condition that it shall be returned to them should the contract fail. When the contract did not materialize, Cabigon failed to return the money and instead issued three checks that bounced.

The Ombudsman said Benatiro and Aguisanda were dismissed for grave misconduct after being caught receiving P70,000 from the relatives of a suspected pusher in exchange for his freedom.

But Benatiro denied they were arrested while receiving marked money and claimed he and other policemen of Consolacion, including Aguisanda, were about to conduct an operation at the time.

Apolinar for his part was dismissed from the service for demanding P2,000 from a certain Teresita Ylagan in exchange for not towing her multicab for violation of several traffic rules.

Zaragosa used to be the head of 701st Maritime police station based at Ouano Wharf in Mandaue City before he became regional director of said police unit in Central Visayas.

The records showed that Zaragosa was found liable and was meted a six-month suspension for ordering the release of 360 bags of Vietnamese rice with recycled documents, which deprived the government of tax collection.

Sasing for his part was found liable for the escape of a detainee at the Consolacion police station, while Librado of Mandaue City police office was also found guilty for mauling a civilian in 2006. – Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)