PDEA intel officer nabbed for robbery

SAN JOSE CITY, Philippines  – Operatives of the Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) nabbed in a subdivision here on Friday afternoon an intelligence officer of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) wanted for robbery and who also had pending warrants for grave coercion and for repeatedly failing to attend hearings involving drug-related cases.

Superintendent Edgar Alan Okubo, PPSC company commander, said intelligence officer Sherwin Holgado, 32, is now detained in their stockade.

Okubo said the arrest of Holgado was carried out by virtue of four warrants of arrest separately issued against him on April 29, May 16, July 12 and July 18 by two regional trial courts (RTCs) and a municipal trial court in cities (MTCC) in Cabanatuan City.

The warrants were issued by RTC Branch 27 Judge Angelo Perez for Holgado’s failure to attend two hearings of drug-related cases, by RTC Branch 25 Judge Teresita Cativo for robbery, and by MTCC Branch 1 Judge Ana Marie-Joson Viterbo for grave coercion.

No bail was recommended for the warrants issued in connection with Holgado’s failure to attend the hearings, while P112,000 bail was recommended for his robbery and grave coercion cases.

Okubo said the cases for robbery and grave coercion stemmed from an incident last Feb. 19 when Holgado, along with three others, barged into the house of businesswoman Zenaida Bustamante in Cabanatuan City without any search warrant and stashed away P16,000 in cash and four cell phones.

As they left Bustamante’s house, Holgado’s group fired three shots to scare onlookers. They even dragged a bystander, Teresita Abergas, inside their getaway vehicle, looking for additional money. The two women separately filed cases of robbery and grave coercion against Holgado’s group.