Manhunt on for 5 cops over missing P12-M ransom

MANILA, Philippines - Manila Police District (MPD) director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rongavilla ordered yesterday a manhunt for five policemen from the Ermita police station tagged in the disappearance of P12.1 million from a P16.3-million ransom paid by a kidnapped Malaysian businessman.

Rongavilla formed Task Force Riviera to track down and file charges against Senior Inspector Peter Nerviza, SPO4 Ernesto Peralta, PO3 Mike Ongpauco, PO3 Jefferson Britanico and PO1 Rommel Ocampo, who have reportedly gone AWOL (absent without official leave) when news of the missing ransom broke. Senior Superintendent Fidel Posadas, the MPD deputy for operations, will head the task force.

“We have only circumstantial evidence against these five policemen, but their continued absence from service since the reported loss of the remaining ransom money came out proves that the allegations against them may be true,” Rongavilla told The STAR.

Nervisa, chief of the Ermita police station anti-crime unit, and the four policemen arrested the alleged mastermind in the kidnapping of Malaysian businessman Eric Sim Chin Tong at one of the rooms of the Riviera Mansion along Mabini street on March 7.

Nerviza and his men reported the arrest of the alleged mastermind, Marlon Lopera, and the recovery of P4.2 million ransom to Ermita station commander Superintendent Felipe Cazon only the following day, saying they were busy catching the other suspects.

Tong reported that he gave P16.5 million to his abductors. Lopera and another suspect, Felizardo Gutierrez, told Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim that police recovered the luggage containing the P15 million ransom, aside from the P1.3 million taken from the suspect’s vault.

Lim ordered an investigation, and Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo and National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Nicanor Bartolome followed suit.

Bartolome said he wants the investigation “to determine the procedural lapses of the police personnel involved” and establish the administrative and criminal liability of Cazon and his men.

Bartolome was reported to have ordered Rongavilla to relieve Cazon and his men from their posts, but Rongavilla denied receiving such an order.     – With Mike Frialde