EPD exec, junior officer nearly swap blows

MANILA, Philippines - A senior official of the Eastern Police District nearly exchanged punches with his junior officer at the EPD headquarters in Pasig City on Tuesday.

Sources said the police official accused the junior officer of dragging his name to the case of the 14 EPD policemen who had been accused of extorting P2.7 million from Koreans they illegally arrested in Mandaluyong City on March 13.

The junior officer reportedly earned the ire of the police official after learning that the former has submitted an investigation report saying that the operations conducted by the EPD policemen against the Koreans “had the blessings of a ranking EDP official.”

The senior police official felt that he is the one being alluded to in the report, The STAR source said.

Upon seeing the junior officer at the EPD headquarters, the senior police official flared up and threw the four-page report at his direction.

The source said the senior police official came charging with his fist and kick blows but the junior officer parried these to defend himself.

Cooler heads intervened and prevented the incident from going out of control.

EPD director Chief Superintendent Abelardo Villacorta has ordered an investigation of the incident.

Fourteen EPD officers raided three condominium units at the Bauhina Tower, Tivoli Garden Residences located at 69 Coronado street in Barangay Hulo on March 13 and arrested Lee Chang Hwan.

However, the junior officer reported that six other Koreans, two of them pregnant, were released in exchange for P2.7 million.

The 14 policemen involved in the operations have been relieved and transferred to the EPD’s District Police Holding and Administrative Service pending result of the investigation.

They were Chief Inspector Florello Jose Carpio; Inspector Manny Jamero and PO1 Ryan Urbanes of the District Intelligence Division; Chief Inspector Virgilio Buenaobra Jr.; PO3 Andrie Cawa; PO2 Romeo Siaotong; PO2 Mangontavar Amerol; SPO2 Melchor de Mayo; PO3 Dennis Ordame; PO1 Johnvir Tagacay; SPO1 Herbert Garcia; SPO1 Nelson Zenarosa; PO3 Adrian Magbalot, and PO2 Jayson Rivera of the District Special Operation Unit.

The policemen are moving “heaven and earth” to trace how The STAR managed to get a copy of the report submitted by the junior officer.