5 cops sacked over Navarro blotter lapses

MANILA, Philippines - Five Southern Police District (SPD) police officers have been relieved from their posts pending an investigation into alleged lapses they committed when model Deniece Cornejo filed a blotter report against actor and television host Vhong Navarro on Jan. 22, an official said yesterday.

Senior Inspector Eduardo Alcantara, the officer of the day; Police Officer 3 Dalmacio Lumiuan, who processed the blotter entry; PO3s Eugene Pugal and Lory Laureto were relieved as part of administrative procedure.

Senior Superintendent Nelson Bautista, chief of the SPD’s District Investigation and Detective Management Division (DIDMD), was also relieved pending the completion of the probe by the Internal Affairs Service (IAS), according to SPD director Chief Superintendent Jose Erwin Villacorte.

“They were removed from their posts to prevent them from interfering with the ongoing IAS investigation,” said Villacorte.

He said the IAS has yet to finish its probe on alleged irregularities committed by the four officers who were present at the SPD’s DIDMD office when Cornejo filed a complaint for attempted rape against Navarro, 37.

The “It’s Showtime” host was brought to the SPD headquarters after he was beaten up by businessman Cedric Lee and his companions for allegedly attempting to rape Cornejo in her condominium unit at Forbeswood Heights in Taguig at around 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 22.

Cornejo, however, indicated in the blotter that she would not pursue the complaint against the actor.

Nothing unusual

The police officers maintained that there was nothing unusual with the blotter being made at the SPD headquarters and not at the Taguig police detachment in Bonifaco Global City (BGC), which is closer to the Forbeswood Heights Condominium.

“This is a police station. We can entertain cases here. There is no malice here. We do not know these people. This was just for record purposes,” Lumiuan said.

He said that if the complaint had been filed at the BGC police detachment, it would still be forwarded to the Taguig City police headquarters.

Blotters recalled

In a related development, Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima ordered the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management to recall all police blotters from police units performing administrative functions to prevent lapses similar to the incident involving Navarro.

“No staff units shall investigate,” said Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP public information office chief.

He added that according to Purisima, units like the SPD-DIDM “should not be maintaining police blotters.”

Purisima’s directive noted that only units that investigate shall be authorized to have blotters. The National Capital Region Police Office districts can maintain blotters because they have criminal investigation units, but regional, district and provincial police offices have no such units, Sindac said.

Deniece wants lookout bulletin issued vs Vhong

Cornejo’s camp has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to also issue a lookout bulletin order (LBO) against Navarro just as it did to her and Lee.

Cornejo’s lawyer, Howard Calleja, urged the DOJ to be fair since Navarro is also facing a criminal case.

“I think it’s just to make sure Vhong Navarro will face the rape case against him. If the photo of my client was posted in immigration counters, his (Navarro’s) photo should also be posted there,” he said in an interview.

DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima was not immediately available for comment.

She earlier cited Cornejo and Lee being “flight risks” as the basis for issuing the LBO against them.

An LBO is for monitoring a suspect’s movements and cannot be used to prevent the suspect from leaving the country. A hold departure order, on the other hand, is needed to prevent a suspect from leaving the country.

The DOJ has summoned Lee, Cornejo and six others to appear in a preliminary investigation hearing on Feb. 14 and submit their respective counter-affidavits on charges of serious illegal detention, serious physical injury, grave threats, grave coercion, illegal arrest and blackmail filed by the National Bureau of Investigation last week.

The preliminary investigation panel is composed of Assistant State Prosecutors Olivia Torrevillas, Hazel Decena-Valdez and Marie Elvira Herrera. Cornejo’s counter-charge of rape against Navarro will be consolidated in the PI by the same panel.

– With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Edu Punay