Lifestyle check on cops in drug diagram sought

MANILA, Philippines - The family of slain Chief Inspector Elmer Santiago yesterday called on the police to conduct a lifestyle check on the 30 police officers he named in the diagram as being involved in illegal drug trade.

“The police should conduct a lifestyle check on them. They used to be poor but now they can live like royalties,” said Jonathan Morales, head of the Anti Drug Advocate, in an interview with The STAR.

Santiago, a member of the Philippine National Police Academy Class 1996, was on floating status at the Central Luzon Police’s Regional Personnel Holding and Administrative Unit when he was killed in an ambush in Mandaluyong City on April 16.

Months before the ambush, he drew a diagram listing 30 policemen, drug lords and middlemen allegedly involved in illegal drug and cybersex operations.

Morales said Santiago’s wife Agnes, who survived the attack, told him that these cops used to be “very poor.”

Santiago named 11 police officials, 22 non-commissioned police officers and 11 civilians of being behind the illegal drug and cybersex den operations in four towns and a city in Bataan.

The PNP is tracing the present assignments of the police officials to get their side.

According to the diagram, the illegal drugs are sourced from Chinese and Muslim drug dealers being held at the New Bilibid Prison.

Mystery car

Police are looking for a “mystery car” whose occupants may have a hand in the killing of Santiago.

Witnesses noticed the vehicle while parked along Talumpong street in Barangay Malamig where the suspects peppered Santiago’s car with bullets, police said.

A member of Task Force Santiago theorized that the M-16 Armalite rifle used in the killing of the victim could have come from the occupants of the vehicle.

The Star learned that a witness managed to get a picture of the car and forwarded it to the police to help unmask the killers of Santiago.

According to the source, the car is a metallic green or silver Toyota Vios without license plates.

Police said they would ask the help of the Land Transportation Office in identifying the owner of the car.

Santiago and his wife had just visited Superintendent Maristelo Manalo in Mandaluyong City when they were ambushed.

Manalo, who was mentioned by Santiago in his diagram as among the 11 police officials involved in illegal drug trade and cybersex operations in Bataan, has not yet made himself available for investigation.

Manalo is presently assigned at the Regional Police Holding Administrative Unit of the National Capital Region Police Office, the source said.

His brother, famous pool player and barangay chairman Marlon Manalo, allegedly prevented village watchmen from appearing before the task force.

Earlier, NCRPO chief Director Carmelo Valmoria ordered the relief of Superintendent Robin King Sarmiento, the deputy chief of the Parañaque police, after his name appeared in Santiago’s diagram.

Among those recovered in Santiago’s car were documents involving the cases filed by Sarmiento against the former with the Parañaque City prosecutor’s office.

Valmoria clarified there is still no evidence linking Sarmiento and Manalo to Santiago’s killing.