Cop charged for asking money from applicant

CEBU, Philippines - A police officer assigned at the Philippine National Police-7’s Dental Service was indicted for the crime of estafa for allegedly demanding money from a police applicant.

Graft investigator Maria Teresa Lee-Rafols has found probable cause to charge in court SPO3 Uldarico Geroy and recommended P16,000 for his temporary liberty.

Lee-Rafols said she conducted a preliminary investigation and the accused was given an opportunity to submit controverting evidence. Based on the evidence submitted, she found reasonable ground to believe that the offense has been committed by the accused.

The complainants of the case were PO3 Ponciano Llenos III, Insp. Romeo Santander, PO2 Alexander Hermoso, PO2 Dante Estenzo, PO2 Aricio Monroid Jr., PO1 Januario Miro, PO1 Rodrigo Inoc and PO1 Ramil Retuerto.

Santander alleged that sometime in April 2006, he meet a police applicant named Gerardo Barrientos, who reported to him that Geroy demanded P50,000 from him in exchange for his inclusion in the list as one of the successful PNP applicants.

Considering the seriousness of the matter, Santander said he told Barrientos to maintain contact with the accused and to inform them about the demands of the accused.

On May 22, 2006, Santander received a text message from Barrientos informing him the accused demanded from him P30,000 and they were going to meet at Pier 3, Cebu City.

The next day Barrientos arrived at Camp Sotero Cabahug and police officers decided to launch an entrapment operation using marked money against the accused.

Barrientos went to Pier 3, to give the money together with the police officers, who successfully arrested Geroy. But while in the process of apprehending the accused, the latter allegedly took the white envelope containing the money from his pocket and threw it away.

In his counter-affidavit, Geroy denied the allegations of the complainants, saying he met Barrientos several times and during their accidental meetings, he came to know that Barrientos had applied twice in the PNP but never made it.

He allegedly advised Barrientos to comply the requirements and on May 23, 2006, Barrientos told him they will meet at Pier 3 and end up at a karaoke bar.

The accused said Barrientos attempted to place an envelope in the pocket of his shorts. But moment later, several persons claiming to be policemen arrived and arrested him.

However, Lee-Rafols said the denial of the accused cannot prevail over the allegations of the police complainants.

“If Geroy was innocent, why would he met with Barrientos, whom he claimed to know by chance only? Besides, why would Barrientos tell a lie against the accused if needed he had not done anything wrong?” Rafols stated.

The graft investigator explained the accused’s act of demanding money from Barrientos constitutes estafa by falsely pretending to have the power or influence to have the name of Barrientos included in the name of the successful PNP applicants. (FREEMAN)