4 cops behind cover-up of Pasig suspect’s escape

At least four Pasig City policemen were identified as behind the filing of a case against the “wrong person” to cover up the escape of a drug suspect last year.

Eastern Police District (EPD) director Chief Superintendent Leon Nilo de la Cruz said the suspect himself, Julius Nacionales, identified the four policemen through their personnel data sheet from the Pasig City police.

De la Cruz ordered tight security on Nacionales, who is detained at the EPD headquarters along Caruncho Ave., in Pasig City, to prevent the policemen from harassing him.

“There will be no whitewash of the case,” De la Cruz said. “Let the ax fall where it may.”

Pasig City police chief Senior Superintendent Francisco Uyami Jr. said they will cooperate fully in the investigation conducted by the EPD’s district investigation and detective management division (DIDMD) on Nacionales’ case.

Uyami said he ordered Inspector Harold Aglipay, chief of the station’s anti-illegal drugs unit to present his men before the DIDMD and submit their counter-affidavit on the case.

“The initial report submitted by Aglipay claimed that they did nothing wrong,” Uyami said in an interview.

DIDMD chief Superintendent Eduardo Villena said they will start filing cases against the four Pasig City policemen today before the city prosecutor’s office.

He refused to divulge the identities of the four policemen pending the filing of the charges in court.

Nacionales was arrested last month on the strength of an arrest warrant for illegal gambling. He posted bail, but before he was released, Villena directed his men to verify in courts and other police units whether Nacionales has pending arrest warrants.

To Villena’s surprise, Nacionales was also charged with illegal drug use but the picture on the charge sheet was of another person.

Nacionales also said the signature on the charge sheet was not his. He later admitted that he was arrested by the anti-drug unit of the Pasig City police sometime last year but he managed to escape.

Since the police already filed their reports on Nacionales’ arrest, they allegedly decided instead to file a case against another person  to cover up Nacionales’ escape.  – Non Alquitran