QCPD official requires background checks on cops

MANILA, Philippines - A Quezon City Police District (QCPD) station commander will now require a background check on newly assigned police officers after a gun-running policeman died in a shootout with other policemen last Monday.

Senior Police Officer 1 Wilberto Blanco was transferred to the Anonas police station, which is under Superintendent Richard Fiesta, from the Batasan police station.

Fiesta said yesterday he always tells police officers he supervises “to avoid getting involved in whatever form of illegal activities because we will not tolerate their wrongdoings.”

He said the Anonas police station had yet to do a background check on Blanco when he was killed.

Blanco was among the police officers who was transferred, along with Batasan police station commander Superintendent Victor Pagulayan, after the arrest on June 23 of two police officers from the National Capital Region Police Office-Regional Police Holding and Accounting Unit.

Pagulayan was reassigned to the QCPD’s administrative holding section.

The arrested police officers and their seven alleged accomplices reportedly used the Batasan police station in their “hulidap” scheme. They reportedly arrest persons then hold them for ransom ranging from P50,000 to P2 million.

Blanco joined the force on Sept. 3, 1998 and was assigned at the QCPD.

In his 17 years with the police service, Blanco was charged with grave misconduct, illegal arrest, robbery, kidnapping, planting evidence and perjury.

Bloody end

Task Force Tugis chief Senior Superintendent Ronald Lee said his men, with the help of an informant, arranged the purchase of an Intratec 9mm machine pistol from Blanco for P30,000.

Blanco tried to escape by shooting it out with police officers of Task Force Tugis, who are based in Camp Crame, as he and his companions sped away in an Isuzu MU-X (ASA 7504).

He died while in surgery at the Capitol Medical Center. His driver, Harlie Linda, 34, also died at the CMC from gunshot wounds sustained during the shootout.

Linda’s sister, Diana, 28, remains confined at the same hospital.

Fiesta earlier said that Blanco wanted to transfer to another unit as he wanted to pursue his master’s degree. He said Blanco was assigned to the station’s monitoring section while he was waiting to be transferred to another station.

Meanwhile, Fiesta said he has yet to receive an order from the QCPD on the investigation against him. He said he will cooperate with the investigators since it would help him clear his name.

QCPD director Chief Superintendent Edgardo Tinio said they will investigate Fiesta to determine if he should be held liable for the incident under the principle of command responsibility.