Retired cops hail arrest of suspected con man

An organization of retired policemen has commended the officers and men of the Western Police District (WPD) for the arrest of a retired ranking Manila police official who allegedly duped them of millions of pesos.

In a letter dated May 30, retired police Col. Felicisimo Lazaro, president and chairman of the board of the Manila’s Finest Retirees Association, Inc., acknowledged the effort of WPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong and his men for the arrest of former police Col. Vicente Palmon who is facing multiple estafa charges filed by retired and active policemen.

"The retiree-complainants against ex-Col. Vicente Palmon et al are very happy and thankful about (his) arrest last May 27, 2005," Lazaro stated in his letter.

Palmon was arrested by operatives of the WPD’s Warrant section composed of Insp. Arsenio Riparip, SPO4 Ricky Fontanillas, SPO2 Dave Donceras and SPO1 Ricardo Mendoza at the Aloha Hotel in Malate, Manila.

The arrest was covered by a warrant of arrest issued by Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 28 Judge Nina Antonio-Valenzuela for estafa. No bail was recommended for his release.

Palmon, president of the foreclosed Police Savings and Loan Association, Inc. (POSLAI), is also facing separate estafa charges in other courts in the Visayas and Mindanao filed by bank depositors who failed to withdraw their deposits totalling millions of pesos, according to Lazaro.

At the same time, the MFRAI bewailed the apparent special treatment allegedly accorded to Palmon by the WPD’s integrated jail officials arising from information that the accused is always out of his detention cell.

The MFRAI is also appealing for the swift arrest of the other respondents in the estafa case which include police officers Radito Perez and Felix Pineda.

"The complainants will be relieved with the arrest of the other accused," Lazaro said.

Some 23 Manila police retirees had also filed 23 counts of estafa charges against Palmon after they failed to withdraw their deposits, which constituted their entire retirement pay deposited at POSLAI in the hope of earning interests.

At least 20 more arrest warrants with no bail recommended are forthcoming against Palmon and his bank officials, according to Lazaro, who vowed to closely monitor the progress of the cases they filed against Palmon and his group. – Nestor Etolle