CIDG Pampanga men face raps for pocketing confiscated shabu

MANILA, Philippines - The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has sought the indictment of its agents in Pampanga for allegedly pocketing millions of pesos worth of shabu and other personal items seized from three Chinese drug suspects in a raid in August last year.

In five-page complaint filed recently with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the CIDG, through its Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU), filed charges against its Pampanga team led by Chief Inspector Bienvenido Reydado.

Reydado, who has been relieved of his post as CIDG Pampanga head, and his men were accused of “maliciously and feloniously conspiring with one another to appropriate for themselves the confiscated illegal drugs, as well as properties confiscated for their personal benefit and gain.”

The DOJ has lost many drug cases, including high-profile ones, in court on technicalities attributed to mishandling of evidence seized from suspects.

Also charged were Reydado’s deputy, Senior Inspector Rommel de la Vega; administrative service officer SPO1 Rommel Raquipiso; Chief Inspector Arnulfo Ibanez of CIDG Pangasinan; and PO2 Federico Casuple of the Manila Police District.

The CIDG also included in the charge sheet eight unidentified police officers said to be members of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF).

They face charges of violation of Section 27 of Republic Act 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act), which penalizes public officers involved in misappropriation, misapplication or failure to account for seized drugs.

The complaint alleged that Reydado’s team conducted a sting on Aug. 28 last year, seized some 50 kilos of shabu, and arrested three Chinese nationals, but did not report the operation.

“Respondents misappropriated, misapplied and failed to account for confiscated shabu estimated to be 50 kilos as well as other items confiscated including Hyundai Starex, Toyota Camry and other personal belongings taken from arrested Chinese nationals,” read the charge sheet, a copy of which was obtained by The STAR.

Reydado and his men allegedly even misled other personnel in their office that the seized drugs were brought to the PNP Crime Laboratory at Camp Crame by supposed AIDSOTF operatives.

“But the report of the Crime Laboratory revealed that the drugs were fake and thus warranting the release of the three arrested Chinese nationals,” the CIDU said.

The complaint cited “overwhelming evidence” against Reydado’s team, including the affidavits of two police officers also assigned in CIDG Pampanga who took part in the operation.

Reydado and his men were arrested by their fellow CIDG officers in their office last March 3.

Seized from them were six semi-automatic pistols, a .22-caliber revolver, a 12-gauge shotgun, three M-16 automatic rifles, two grenades and hundreds of rounds of assorted ammunition.

Some of the weapons were believed to be evidence confiscated from arrested offenders in the past but were not turned over to the proper custodians or the court.

A separate raid on a hideout of Reydado’s group in Bulacan yielded a vault containing P2.6 million in cash and two guns.

The complaint, which was signed by CIDU chief Senior Superintendent Albert Ignatius Ferro, is set for preliminary investigation by the DOJ task force on drug cases.

Reydado earlier had denied the charges, saying he was ready to face the case against him in court.