Cop charged for stealing motorbike in mall

MANILA, Philippines - A Northern Police District (NPD) police officer and his alleged accomplice, arrested Friday while escaping from a mall on a stolen motorcycle, were charged with car theft Saturday before the office of a Caloocan City prosecutor.

Fiscal Darwin Canete recommended P180,000 bail each for Police Officer 1 John Rey Bautista, 30, assigned at the NPD public safety battalion; and Venedict Lopez, 27. The suspects were still detained yesterday at the Caloocan City police detention cell.

Senior Inspector Gaylord Tamayo said he would file today with the NPD a grave misconduct case against Bautista, the second such case against the policeman in four months.

Last April, Tamayo also filed administrative charges against Bautista with the NPD for driving a motorcycle with fake documents.