Lacson’s boys bust phone fraud ring

While the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) is accused of monitoring phone calls of opposition leaders, this elite Police group led by Philippine National Police chief Director General Panfilo Lacson raided a Makati firm allegedly involved in an international phone call racket.

The police announced yesterday the arrest of Bayani Ison Jr. during last Thursday’s 8:30 p.m. raid at the offices of Indigonet-Online Com, Jab Brokerage, Inc. and Topseed Enterprises at Suite 1502, 15th Floor, Cityland Condominium 10, 6815 Ayala Avenue.

Seized were assorted PLDT and Meralco bills, official receipts of BDO Forex Inc., comparative analysis for OCEN Project, telephone cords, computer equipment and other gadgets, allegedly used in illegal international phone calls.

According to Rolando Alcantara, chief of the PLDT’s Alternative Calling Pattern Division, the phone company has enough evidence that links the firms to illegally made international calls.

In a press statement, Lacson said the raid was conducted by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Oscar Pimentel, of Branch 148.

Charges of violation of Article 309 of the Revised Penal Code for the theft of phone service and Presidential Decree 401, which covers unauthorized phone connections.

Ison’s alleged cohorts, Ferdinand Joson, John Bonoan, Editha Drance, Edgar Yumol, Gerard Eusebio and Bien Tenorio are now subjects of a manhunt by the police.

Meanwhile, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court summons today Lacson and three other police officials to answer a P1.3 million damage suit brought against them by relieved Police Community Relations Group director, Chief Superintendent Steve Cudal.

Cudal brought the civil suit after Branch 223 Judge Victorino Evangelista threw out a petition he had filed to stay his relief from his post. Also named as respondents in the damage suit, which has been raffled off to the court’s Branch 82, were Director Reynaldo Acop, PNP personnel and records management director, Chief Superintendent Nestorio Gualberto, chief of the police Headquarters Support Service Unit and Senior Superintendent Nelson Estares, who took over his post.

The respondents have 15 days to answer the suit, which will be heard by Branch 83 Judge Estrella Estrada.

According to Cudal, who has since been placed on floating status at the PNP Administrative Holding Center, he was removed from his post arbitrarily and unjustly, to his "untold embarrassment" and "great damage and prejudice."

The police officer earlier questioned the PNP chief’s order relieving him of his post. According to Cudal, he was eased out of office on Lacson’s suspicions that he had given a television interview where he revealed that some top police officers supported the ouster or resignation of President Estrada.

"The said relief order did not state the reason for his sudden transfer, as he has never been informed of the plan or purpose of such arbitrary and irrational reassignment," said Cudal in his five-paged petition.

Cudal, who is also a lawyer, said the PNP chief also violated his rights to due process, jeopardizing a three-decade career marked by various awards and decorations for meritorious service. He also said the PNP chief also padlocked his office without his knowledge, preventing him from taking a proper inventory of his personal effects before he could vacate it. He asked the court to award him P1 million in moral damages, P200,000 in exemplary damages and P200,000 in attorney’s fees.

"There is no jurisdiction, legal or otherwise, for the aforementioned acts of defendants against (me)," said Cudal, "as these acts were intended to harass, discredit and humiliate me..." – Romel Bagares