2 accused in ‘hulidap’ face ax over 2011 case

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima has recommended the dismissal from service of two policemen involved in the EDSA “hulidap” incident for extorting P10,000 from two persons they arrested on drug charges in 2011, an official said yesterday.

He signed the recommendation to dismiss Senior Police Officer 1 Ramil Hachero and Police Officer 2 Jonathan Rodriguez for grave misconduct.

Three other police officers – PO2 Eugene Lim, PO3 Ernesto Corpuz Jr. and PO1 Erwin Bautista – were also recommended for dismissal, according to PNP public information head Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac.

Purisima’s recommendation needs the approval and signature of National Police Commission vice chair and executive officer Eduardo Escueta and the final approval of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas as Napolcom chairman.

The case stemmed from a complaint by two resident of Barangay Paang Bundok that the five policemen arrested them on April 9, 2011 and brought them to the anti-drug unit of the La Loma police station.

The complainants said the policemen initially demanded P20,000 but the amount was later reduced to P10,000. They said one of their relatives delivered the money to Rodriguez at the La Loma police station’s anti-drug unit two days later.

Sindac denied allegations that Purisima did not immediately act on the case.

“The PNP would like to state for the record that it does not sit on administrative cases, leaving them pending for long periods of time. The case of Hachero was part of the Napolcom special project to resolve some 2,000 cases pending since 2002,” he said.

Sindac said Purisima’s office received 1,355 case folders since December 2013 and the PNP chief has reviewed and signed 790 cases.