‘Problem cop’ nabbed

A Caloocan City policeman, who made good in the early days of his career but later degenerated into a "problem cop" for a number of reasons, allegedly including illegal drug abuse, was arrested yesterday after he was positively identified by at least four of his victims in separate robbery-holdup incidents in Valenzuela City.

The latest heist involved some P.4 million taken at gunpoint from brothers Dennis, 33, and Aladdin, 23, both surnamed Elido, businessmen, of Barangay Kapalangan, Apalit, Pampanga, at noon Thursday along Gen. Luis Street in Bagbaguin, Valenzuela City.

Superintendent Jose Marcelo, Valenzuela police chief, identified the suspect as Police Officer 3 Leandro Songcuan, of 164 Vista Verde, North Avenue, Vista Verde Executive Village.

Unearthed police records revealed that Songcuan has a string of pending criminal and administrative cases to his name.

Songcuan, a former member of the elite Caloocan City Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and an ordnance expert respected by his colleagues, at the time of the robberies, was detailed on floating status at the Caloocan City police station after he was allegedly "thrown" back from his post at the Valenzuela Police Station some two months ago, on derogatory complaints, a ranking official told The STAR.

Investigation showed that at around 12:05 p.m., Songcuan, with two other unidentified male companions on board a yellow Enduro motorcycle, with no plates, divested at gunpoint the Elido brothers of some P380,000 in cash contained in a red bag.

Dennis had just encashed a check for the same amount at the Bagbaguin branch of Metrobank when the suspects robbed the brothers on board their pick up truck as they were held by a traffic jam on their way towards the North Luzon Expressway.

At the police headquarters, the Elidos identified Songcuan as the one, who poked the gun on them and grabbed the bag containing the cash, in the police rogues’ gallery.

After coordinating with the police, Valenzuela operatives arrested Songcuan, who was on his way home, at around 9:30 Thursday night. Seized from the suspect was a 9 mm Taurus with a magazine fully loaded with 16 live bullets. Songcuan, except for an Application for a Firearms License he presented to support his carrying the firearm, failed to show any proof nor permit to carry the same gun outside of his residence.

Upon his arrest, investigators immediately called victim of similar incidents in the area.

Victim Exequiel de Vera of Bonifacio Market, Caloocan City told probers he was robbed by the motorcycle-riding Songcuan and three others of payroll money amounting to P100,000 at about 2 p.m. on June 6 this year infront of the Petron Gas Station along MacArthur Highway. De Vera also identified the weapon seized from the suspect as the same weapon used on him.

Maria Corazon Garcia, 40, Secretary of the Far Eastern Plywood on Tatalon St., Ugong, Valenzuela, also pointed to Songcuan and three others on board a red motorcycle as the ones who robbed her of payroll money amounting to P133,000 while she was on board a Tamaraw FX at around 12:10 on July 3.

Inspector Romeo S. Onte, Caloocan police investigation chief, said Songcuan was also accused of shooting to death a tricycle driver, Rolando Angeles, 29, of Caloocan City over a minor traffic altercation on Jun 16, 2002.

Last April 28, 2003, the suspect was slapped with grave threats when he made a certain Albert Eli, literally "dance" by firing shots at his feet using a handgun. – With Pete Laude