Kidnap charges filed vs Davao cop tagged in holdups

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Police have filed kidnapping charges, too, against a rookie policeman suspected to be involved in a series of holdups in this city.

PO1 Oliver Dicay, a member of the Southern Mindanao police mobile group and assigned to the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) based in Cateel, Davao Oriental, was arrested last week for taking a medical representative hostage and releasing her only after he was given P70,000 via money transfer.

Dicay fell into an entrapment by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation after one Vanessa Mutus, 24, sought the help of her co-workers when Dicay got into her car and ordered her to drive around the city last Wednesday afternoon.

Dicay was collared while claiming the money from a money transfer agency in Barangay Matina Aplaya here.

A visibly irked Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said that what Dicay did was not a mere holdup but kidnapping for ransom.

“If you hold a person even for a minute in exchange for money for his release, that is already kidnapping,” Duterte said.

Southern Mindanao police director Jaime Morente said a second victim has surfaced and tagged Dicay in another holdup.

Morente said Dicay, who entered the police force in 2009, was reported to have been on absence without official leave (AWOL) since last June 11.

Morente said he has ordered that summary dismissal proceedings for Dicay be fast-tracked.

“He does not deserve to stay longer in the police ranks. I am making sure that the administrative case against him will be hastened,” he said.

Morente said the NBI would pursue criminal charges against Dicay, especially now that two victims have positively identified him.

Morente said he has also relieved Dicay’s company commander and platoon leader based on the doctrine of command responsibility.

“It would appear that Dicay’s immediate superiors were not able to supervise or monitor him properly,” he said.

He said all passes and leaves of RPSB members in Cateel have been cancelled.

“I want an accounting of all personnel in the RPSB,” he said.

Morente lamented how new police recruits have been involved in crimes.

“We have to check on this. There might be something wrong in the recruitment process,” he said.