2 QC cops tagged in ‘hulidap’ arrested, 7 others hunted

MANILA, Philippines -  Two officials of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), six policemen and a dismissed police inspector have been tagged in the P2.139-million “hulidap” operation along EDSA in Mandaluyong, which was caught on video and went viral online last week.

Chief Inspector Joseph de Vera, deputy commander of the QCPD Station 1, was arrested right inside the La Loma police station by Metro Manila police chief Director Carmelo Valmoria Sunday night.

Police Officer Jonathan Rodriguez of QCPD’s District Public Safety Battalion was nabbed in a follow-up operation yesterday afternoon.

Their companions Senior Inspector Oliver Villanueva, head of the QCPD’s Station 1 investigation unit; Senior Police Officer 1 Ramil Hachero; Police Officers 2 Mark de Paz, Ebonn Decatoria, Jerome Datinguinoo, and Weavin Masa, all detailed at QCPD Station 1 remain at-large, according to QCPD director Chief Superintendent Richard Albano.

Albano has ordered a manhunt for the police officers along with dismissed Inspector Marco Polo.

De Vera, a member of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Class 2001, was tagged as the leader of a 10-man police team that intercepted a white Toyota Fortuner along EDSA on Sept. 1.

Estrera and Villanueva are also PNPA  alumni, while the rest are non-officers.

Albano formed two teams to track down the other suspects.

Heading the first team tasked to locate the missing policemen is their former boss Superintendent Osmundo de Guzman, who had been relieved as QCPD Station 1 chief for command responsibility.

The other team is from the QCPD’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit led by Chief Inspector Rodel Marcelo.

The policemen have been marked absent without official leave and relieved from their current assignments, Albano said.

He vowed to press criminal charges against his men.

“We don’t tolerate any wrongdoing in the QCPD,” he said in an interview.

Background check

Albano has ordered a background investigation on the policemen involved in the “hulidap.”

Based on his records, De Vera had an administrative offense for misconduct in March this year.

Albano said the policemen have been ordered disarmed.

“Their firearms and badges will be confiscated once they are accounted for,” he said.

De Vera and his colleagues blocked the path of the Fortuner along EDSA in Mandaluyong and robbed its two occupants, Camal Mama, 30, and Samanodin Abdul Gafur.

A witness took a photo of the incident using his cell phone and uploaded it on Twitter that went viral on the Internet.

The owner of the Fortuner with license plate ZEJ-588 was identified as Lanao del Sur-based businessman Maguidala Mamaruga Nasser by the Task Force WackWack headed by Senior Superintendent Job Marasigan, deputy director for operations of the Eastern Police District (EPD).

Nasser claimed he had sold the vehicle and vowed to cooperate with the police in finding its new owner.

Mama and Gafur, accompanied by a lawyer, appeared at the EPD headquarters and narrated their ordeal in the hands of De Vera and the other suspects.

They said they were traveling along EDSA in Mandaluyong when their vehicle was blocked by a motorcycle, a black Toyota Fortuner, Honda Civic and a Toyota Hi-Ace van on Sept. 1.

The Honda Civic (ZIJ-149) is owned by Estrera. The Hi-Ace van with conduction sticker YF 9767 was bought by De Vera on July 7.

Policemen recovered the van was along Sagada street in Barangay Sto. Domingo, which is a few meters away from the police station.

P2 M missing

The victims said the suspects took Gafur’s P2 million, commandeered their vehicle and drove them around Quezon City before they were brought to the La Loma police station where they were kept for at least seven hours.

But police said the huge amount of money could not be accounted for.

At the police station, the victims were told to act like policemen.

They said the lawmen also took their ATM cards with their PIN numbers and withdrew P66,000 from their accounts before they were released at 9 p.m.

Mama and Gafur positively identified De Vera and his companions through pictures in their personal data sheet.

Charges of robbery-in-band, kidnapping and serious illegal detention have been filed against De Vera and his companions with the Mandaluyong City prosecutor’s office.

EPD director Chief Inspector Abelardo Villacorta said De Vera admitted his participation and identified his other companions in the EDSA hulidap operation.

“He said they got scared after their photo was uploaded on the Internet that’s why they released the victims,” Villacorta said.

He said they focused on the incident on orders of PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.

Roxas said no one will be spared from the campaign to rid the police force of scalawags.

“Several policemen sacrifice their lives to go after criminals. We will not allow erring cops to tain the image of the PNP,” he said.

‘Person of interest’

The victims said they were supposed to pay a supplier of heavy equipment at the Mall of Asia in Pasay. 

But the business deal did not push through after the former girlfriend of one of the victims, who is considered a “person of interest,” called up and asked to meet her at the SM City North EDSA.

“The woman whom the victims met might be the one who tipped off the suspects that they were carrying huge sum of money,” Villacorta said.– With Cecille Suerte Felipe