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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Saturday, April 1, 2017
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ILOILO City – The Police Regional Office 18 (PRO-18) will handle the investigation into two officers from Western Visayas who allegedly received protection money from a Negros Island-based drug lord, Superintendent Gilbert Gorero said.
But until they are officially charged, the officers’ records stay clean, the spokesperson for the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) stressed.
Ricky Serenio, Negros Island Region’s top illegal drug suspect, tagged several law enforcers to the illicit trade.
In affidavits, Serenio named officers allegedly receiving or have received payola from the Berya drug group, where he formerly belonged.
Among them were Superintendent Orly Gabinete, officer-in-charge of the PRO-6’s Regional Support Group, and Senior Police Officer 4 Regie Antolin of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 6.
“Considering nga ari na sia (Gabinete) sa Region 6, i-forward nila (PRO-18) diri ang administrative nga kaso for continuity,” said Gorero.
Gorero refused to comment on the case of Antolin, a “nonorganic member” of the PRO-6.
Gabinete remains a police officer and stays in his position, Gorero clarified.
“He (Gabinete) is still a police officer. We always follow the presumption of innocence,” said Gorero. “However, we are still waiting for [PRO-18] kon ano ang mangin status sang [investigation].”
An investigation is launched every time there is a complaint against a police officer, Gorero said.
“Kon na-recommend na … ma-undergo sia pre-charge investigation,” he explained. “Kon na-determine na kon ano ang specific nga offense, ma-undergo na sia summary hearing procedure.”
Under the summary hearing procedure, “kon diri na sia na-assign, i-forward na nila diri ang kaso,” said Gorero. “Unless the complainant will file a separate complaint other than sa NIR. Baka gusto nila mag-Ombudsman or Napolcom (National Police Commission). Indi na na kami maka-uyat.”
Their record stays clean until the police officers accused of wrongdoing get officially charged, Gorero stressed.
“We keep on coordinating didto sa [Negros Island Region] kon ano gid ang participation so the regional director could have a basis kon ano mangin decision niya,” he said.
Only the court can determine if the two police officers may be held criminally liable, too, said Gorero.
Serenio had executed affidavits detailing how the Berya drug group dealt with police officers in Negros Island and how the prohibited substance they get from Mindanao are distributed across Negros Occidental.
Six police officers whom Serenio named in a recent affidavit have been relieved. One of them was Senior Superintendent William Señoron, director of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.
Señoron was ordered to report to Camp Crame.
He questioned his relief. “Something is clearly not right here,” he said. “Someone with vicious interests is mounting so much pressure on the regional [police]. Unfortunately someone higher than me gave in to the pressure.”/PN
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