ILOILO City – Two of the 17 police officers whom President Rodrigo Duterte linked to illegal drugs have been dismissed from the service.
The National Police Commission (Napolcom) – Central Office sacked Police Major Rio Maymay and Police Lieutenant Colonel Ipil Dueñas effective last week of March this year.
But Maymay and Dueñas could still appeal the decision, according to Director Joseph Celis of Napolcom Region 6.
Napolcom found them guilty of conduct unbecoming of police officers.
The two cops and 15 other policemen under the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) were mentioned by Duterte in a speech on Aug. 7, 2016 linking several police officers and Western Visayas local chief executives to illegal drugs.
Maymay was then the police chief of Iloilo City’s Police Station 1 while Dueñas was the chief intelligence officer of the Iloilo City Police Station (ICPO).
In 2019, Maymay was assigned at the 2nd Mobile Force Company in Antique province as company commander.
Maymay received his dismissal order on March 30, according to Police Lieutenant Joem Malong, spokesperson of the PRO-6.
He already turned over his firearms, police badge and identification card, Malong added.
Aside from Maymay and Dueñas, other officers mentioned by Duterte were:
* Police Colonel Gil Lebin (retired), former director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO)
* Police Colonel Ricardo Dela Paz, former director of the Guimaras Police Provincial Office (GPPO)
* Police Colonel Marieto Valerio and Colonel Ruperto Floro (both retired), former ICPO directors
* Police Brigadier General Bernardo Diaz, former PRO-6 director
* Police Colonel Kashmir Disomangcop, former ICPO director
* Police Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Gepana, former chief of PRO-6’s Regional Intelligence Office (RIO-6)
* Police Lieutenant Colonel Roderick Condag, former IPPO Mobile Force chief
* Police Lieutenant Colonel Noel Lamsis, former ICPO Intelligence chief
* Police Lieutenant Colonel Richard Gomboc of PRO-6
* Police Major Kenneth Militar, former chief of Molo police station
* Lieutenant Elvis Donasco (retired) and Police Lieutenant Christopher De Jose both of ICPO
* Police Lieutenant Nilo Duarte (retired) also of ICPO; and
* Police Major Vicente Vicente of PRO-6
Duterte’s allegation was met with denials from these police officers who insisted on their innocence. They also welcomed an investigation.
Policemen who were into drug trafficking committed treason, according to the President in at Aug. 7, 2016 speech.
“Putang ina kayo. You (are) destroy(ing) the country,” he said.
He ordered them relieved from their respective posts, report to their mother units and surrender their service firearms.
“You are law enforcers. You work for the government (but) you allowed yourselves to be used,” said Duterte.
Under his six-year term, said Duterte, the still active policemen he named won’t get a promotion.
The police officers, he said, were “dead” administratively.
“(You made) 600 thousand Filipinos addicts, pushers. That’s treason…a crime against the country,” said Duterte./PN
