MPD sacks ‘bagwoman’ for ‘ghost’ cops

A female civilian employee of the Manila Police District (MPD) has been dismissed from service for illegally withdrawing the salaries of “ghost” policemen.

Anita Sahagun, assigned at the personnel section, may also be held criminally liable, pending the result of an investigation by the MPD’s general assignment section.

Sahagun’s illegal activity was discovered when the new chief of the District Mobile Force, Superintendent Jose Mario Espino, found out that six DMF policemen are already abroad but still included in the roster. The six also regularly receive their salaries.

In the course of the investigation, the automated teller machine (ATM) cards of the six policemen were found in Sahagun’s possession. “She (Sahagun) could have been withdrawing the salaries of the six policemen and pocketing the amount,” said Senior Inspector Edgar Reyes, adding the ongoing investigation will determine if Sahagun has connivance with unscrupulous police officials.

Sources at the MPD told The STAR that Sahagun’s illegal operation has been going on since the early ’90s with the blessing of police station commanders and unit chiefs who reportedly maintain policemen who are absent without official leave and those who report only on paydays.

Sahagun reportedly failed to report for work since her alleged illegal activity was discovered.

MPD director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales has recently extended amnesty to all AWOL and “15-30” Manila policemen, calling on them to report for work with no charges to be filed against them.

“But some are really hard headed. They continue to defy my directive, which I issued last Oct. 1. Now they have to face the charges that will be filed against (them),” Rosales said.

He also ordered the MPD’s finance division to conduct an inventory of all issued checks representing the policemen’s salaries to determine who encashed the checks.