PNP probes rookie cop’s 12 suspensions

MANILA, Philippines - The Internal Affairs Service (IAS) of the Philippine National Police has stepped into the case of a rookie Marikina policeman who has been suspended 12 times, an official said yesterday.

The IAS learned of Police Officer 1 Jaime Jan Brian Nicabera after he was arrested for allegedly extorting money from the sibling of a man facing drug charges, according to Senior Superintendent Alexander Tagum, chief of the  Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s Anti-Organized Crime Division (CIDG-AOCD).

“IAS is stepping into the case. They were surprised to learn that a police officer who had been suspended several times managed to stay in the police service,” Tagum told The STAR in a phone interview.

He said they are consolidating all their documents on Nicabera for submission to IAS.

Tagum said that according to IAS, any police officer suspended three times for administrative cases should have faced summary dismissal proceedings.

The CIDG-AOCD chief also revealed that further verification with Nicabera’s superior, Marikina police chief Senior Superintendent Vincent Galanoga, indicated that the rookie policeman had been suspended not just 10 times – as earlier reported – but 12 times. Tagum said he cannot yet disclose the reasons for the suspensions.

Nicabera was arrested by Tagum’s team during an entrapment operation in a mall in Mandaluyong City a few days ago.

Reporters tried to get Nicabera’s side but he refused to comment on the accusations against him.

Records showed Nicabera allegedly contacted the sibling of a man facing charges of illegal drugs and offered to “fix” the case for P100,000.

Tagum said the complainant haggled until the amount was reduced to P15,000.

Before the complainant finalized the deal, Tagum said the complainant went to the CIDG Complaint Monitoring Division and reported the incident.