Charges readied against 4 cops

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — Four policemen were in hot water after Bulacan police have prepared criminal charges against them, after they were identified by their victims as those who hijacked a delivery truck in San Rafael town, last Saturday.

In his report here to Chief Supt. Oscar C. Calderon, Police Regional Office-3 (PRO-3) regional director, Sr. Supt. Felizardo Serapio, Bulacan police director said that charges of robbery in band will be filed in court against PO3 Jaime Tadeo, PO2 Ricardo de Guzman, PO1 Roderick Venturina and PO1 Reynaldo Rodriguez, all members of San Rafael Police Station. Included in the complaint sheet were identified only as four "John Does," said Serapio.

He said that Tadeo, De Guzman and Venturina are presently suspended after they were implicated in a hijacking incident last February. Rodriquez is still active in the service, said Serapio.

Last Saturday morning, a 10-wheeler truck (WNV-577) loaded with construction materials, driven by Ricardo Alido while parked along the service road was hijacked by eight unidentified armed men along Cagayan Valley road in Barangay Sampaloc, San Rafael, Bulacan. The truck driver was checking the vehicle’s tires when the suspects suddenly appeared and at gunpoint ordered him and his helper to transfer to their Besta Van.

One of the suspects, then drove the cargo truck to unknown directions while the victims were hogtied and dumped somewhere in Balagtas, Bulacan. The victims then, proceeded to the Balagtas Police Station and reported the incident, police said.

Police recovered the hijacked truck but its items were already missing.

Venturina and his colleagues were identified by the driver and his helper as the ones who hijacked their truck when showed their pictures in the police "rogue gallery," said Serapio. — Ric Sapnu