Bribery raps filed vs 10 PNP officials

Police Director Reynaldo Acop and nine other police officials were charged yesterday with direct bribery before the Sandiganbayan.

Acting Ombudsman Margarito Gervacio said Acop was liable for "command responsibility and conspiracy" for the actions of his men who are accused of receiving P3 million and 10 kilos of shabu in exchange for the freedom of six Chinese nationals suspected of drug trafficking.

"The respondent Acop, the commanding officer, did nothing to prevent the bribery from being consummated, clearly indicating that he was part of the conspiracy to unlawfully solicit P3 million from Chong Riu Ming," Gervacio said.

Charged with Acop were Superintendents Francisco Villaroman and John Campos, Chief Inspectors Julius Caesar Mana and Cesar Aquino, Senior Police Officers 2 Antonio Ventura and Mabini Rosala, Senior Police Officer 1 Danilo Castro, Police Officer 3 Ferdinand Apuli and Police Officer 1 Anthony Ong.

Gervacio said under Executive Order 226, Acop was duty-bound to control his men and to take administrative and other legal action against those who have been found to have violated the law.

"From the foregoing, conspiracy appears to be present," Gervacio said. "Notwithstanding Rosebud Ong’s report, respondent Acop did nothing to prevent the bribery from taking place, thereby evincing his imprimatur in the unlawful acts of his subordinates."

Gervacio said he had given credence to the affidavit of lawyer Rodolfo Galing, which corroborated the accusations of former police asset Mary "Rosebud" Ong that the Chinese had bribed the police officials led by Villaroman with P3 million and 10 kilos of shabu.

"And yet, upon receipt of the facilitation fee of P3 million and the shabu, the key to the new car and the collection book, items apparently not useful to the concerned respondents, were released to Rosebud Ong," he said.

Events have indicated that a bribery had taken place with the "blessings" of Acop, Gervacio added.

Another witness, Remus Garganera, said he had seen the P3 million withdrawn from an account at the Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City branch of Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., before delivering the money to Villaroman.

The loot was divided among Acop, Villaroman and Campos, Garganera added.

On the other hand, Ong said she was happy that the case against Acop and the 10 police officials has been filed in court to allow the wheels of justice to move.

"I have been monitoring these cases (which) I filed against the PNP officers, including (Sen.) Panfilo Lacson, and hoping that the charges will be finally filed in court," she said.

It was through Campos that the Hong Kong Triad negotiated for the freedom of the six Chinese upon payment of P3 million cash and 10 kilos of shabu worth P2 million per kilo, Ong added.

Speaking on behalf of Acop and their other co-accused, Villaroman described as "a long-delayed legal proceeding" the Ombudsman’s action of filing the charges in court.

"We have been waiting for this to clear our name and all along we see that the Sandiganbayan is the proper venue for this and not another place," he said.

Villaroman said they are still awaiting word from their lawyer whether to file a mtion for reconsideration before the Ombudsman’s office.

"But just the same, we are ready to face (the case) in court," he said.

The charges have "tainted and derailed" their careers in the police service, Villaroman added.

Ombudsman records show that on Dec. 6, 1999, agents of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID), then headed by Acop, arrested Chinese Lu Shao Min, Wang Jin Luan, alias Jose Ong, Jin Piao Wang Chua, alias Kelvin Chua Ong and Li Jiaz Hu, Ah Chun, alias Ah Ling, and Eduardo Ling Hing Ong, after a stakeout of their hideout in Quezon City.

The six were later charged with violating Republic Act 6425, the Dangerous Drugs Act, and Presidential Decree 1866, the law on illegal possession of firearms.

However, the case was dismissed after the arresting officers failed to testify at the trial, and the Chinese eventually jumped bail and disappeared. — Jose Rodel Clapano, Christina Mendez, Jaime Laude