Manila cop sacked for harassing city official

The People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB) has ordered the immediate dismissal of a police inspector for harassing and intimidating a Manila City Hall official tasked to stop prostitution in the city.

In its six-page order, the PLEB found Senior Inspector Ricardo Martin, operations officer of the Western Police District-Mobile Patrol Unit, guilty of grave misconduct.

The board, through its chairman Vicente Rellosa, based its recommendation to dismiss Martin on the complaint of Rafael Borromeo, chief of the Manila City Hall-Department of Public Service (DPS), who claimed that Martin harassed and intimidated him on April 10, 2001.

In his complaint, Borromeo, an agent of Task Force Kaayusan said he was conducting a surveillance of prostitution activities in Malate, Manila when he chanced upon a group of young women.

Borromeo said he approached the women and asked them to leave the area and they acceded. He also told some boys to remove some chairs to prevent the group from loitering in the area.

A few minutes later, Martin arrived on board a mobile patrol car and tried to arrest Borromeo, whom the police officer accused of "manhandling" a woman. The woman turned out to be the alleged pimp of the young women.

During the confrontation, Borromeo denied the accusation of Martin, who even called for assistance, through his two-way radio. Four mobile patrol units arrived.

Borromeo tried to explain his side but Martin and the other policemen drew, cocked and poked their guns at the City Hall official. Finally, Borromeo managed to introduce himself as chief of the DPS by showing his identification card, which Martin seized.

The policemen ordered Borromero to proceed to WPD Station 5, where he waited for more than one hour but Martin’s group never showed up. Borromeo filed a complaint with the PLEB. "The board finds credence in the testimony of Borromeo that he was intimidated from performing his lawful duty cleaning up the proliferation of sex trade in Malate," the PLEB order stated. – Cecille Suerte Felipe