Three cops in hot water for ‘not paying’ vendor

CEBU, Philippines - The Waterfront Police Station is looking into an incident, which was posted in a social networking site, involving three cops and a woman who allegedly ate at a street food cart along Colon Street, Cebu City without paying past 12 noon yesterday.

Chief Inspector Jose Gesto, Waterfront Police Station chief, said he is investigating the allegation and has already contacted the vendor whom the cops allegedly did not pay.

Gesto said the vendor told him that he would visit the station at 9a.m. today at the station.

A Facebook post of a citizen who asked not to be named said while she and her boyfriend were eating at a siomai cart along Colon Street, three police officers and a “sexy” lady arrived to eat.

But after eating, the police officers allegedly walked away without paying for their food. The cops reportedly told the vendor that the woman they were with would pay for the food they ordered.

The concerned citizen noted in her post that the vendor only mumbled and she caught him saying “Abosado kaayo mga tawhana oy. Ang babae lang daw mobayad. Ambot kinsang bayhana ana ilang giingun.”

However, the station chief suspects that the accusation is fabricated and could be a work of people affected by the police’s presence in the area.

“Basin fabricated na nga estorya, basin mangigoay na di na ka-igo kay naa nay mga polis. But nag-conduct ta’g investigation para mahibaw-an kon unsay kamatuoran sa pasangil,” Gesto said.

Yesterday, the concerned citizen has deleted her post about the incident, saying she fears for her life. 

Chief Inspector Noel Lomento, Carbon Police Station chief, said he has also conducted an investigation into the matter after he received the report.

But Lomento said the area where the alleged incident happened is within the jurisdiction of the Waterfront Police Station.

The FREEMAN is withholding the names of the police officers, who have been identified by a reliable source, pending the investigation.

The source said though that two of the three officers have denied the accusation.  (FREEMAN)