‘Planting evidence’

Another police officer closely identified to former Philippine National Police (PNP) director general now senator Panfilo Lacson is in trouble with the law, this time for allegedly planting evidence on a Chinese businessman four years ago.

Superintendent Francisco Villaroman, earlier tagged as part of Lacson’s alleged elaborate crime syndicate, was charged anew for the supposed 312-gram drug bust case of Go Lip Tse, who was later shown in a video tape to have been abducted by men in plainclothes.

Villaroman, named by Senate witness Rosemary Ong one of Lascon’s men, is set to undergo preliminary investigation at 2 p.m. today by Pasay City Prosecutor Danillo Pollo along with nine co-accused for violation of the Dangerous Drugs Law.

Lacson has repeatedly denied the accusations, saying they are all part of a demolition campaign against him and people identified with him.

"Under the law, those found to have planted evidence can be made answerable for the same drug offense they imputed on another," explained Pollo. As such the 10 policemen, including four more ranking officers, could face the maximum penalty of death.

The basis for the charge was a Sept. 18, 1998 decision of Pasay Judge Porfirio Macaraeg who acquitted Go and recommended administrative and criminal actions against the policemen to the Departments of Justice and Interior and Local Government. The judge concluded that there was a fake buy-bust operation, which was reinforced by Go’s defense that the cops tried to extract money from him and that his cash and valuables, amounting to hundreds of thousands, were taken.

The recommendation, however, seemed unacted upon while Lacson and his political ally, former president Joseph Estrada were in power. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group under Director Nestorio Gualberto filed the charges.

Charged along with Villaroman were Police Senior Inspectors Julius Cesar Mana and Julieto Culili, Police Inspectors Medel Ponye and Carlito Dimalanta.

Senior Police Officer 3 Armando Bugay, SPO3 Benedicto Tupil, SPO2 Mabini Rosale, SPO2 Saul Arellaro, SPO2 Evangeline Martos. Culili, Bugay, and Tupil were additionally charged with obstruction of justice.

The court decision, on which the CIDG based its charges, stated that Go was snatched in front of the Heritage Hotel in Pasay on March 15, 1998. The policemen said later that it was a buy-bust operation where they recovered 312 grams of shabu.

But the hotel security video showed otherwise.

The video showed that men in civilian clothes simply grabbed Go in front of the hotel. The hotel management in fact reported the incident to the Pasay police as an "abduction of a Chinese-looking" person. – Jose Aravilla