Cop nabbed for using seized motorcycle from drug ops

A policeman was arrested by operatives of the Philippine National Police-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG) in Marikina City for allegedly keeping a motorcycle seized during a buy-bust operation for his own use.

The PNP-IMEG identified the accused cop as Patrolman Orlando Perez, 43, who was assigned at the National Capital Region Police Office-Drug Enforcement Unit (NCRPO-DEU).

Police Brigadier General Ronald Lee, director of PNP-IMEG, said Perez was caught using the Mio motorcycle that was confiscated from a drug suspect during an anti-illegal drugs operation in Marikina City last April 5.

Lee said Perez supposedly did not declare the motorcycle as part of the evidence and instead he had used it as his personal service.

"There will be no respite in the crackdown against scalawags amid the enhanced community quarantine against COVID-19," Lee said.

"This is in line with our continuing effort to identify and arrest PNP personnel who illegally use recovered and carnapped vehicles and motorcycles that were inventoried as evidence in police operations as part of the massive internal cleansing program ordered by the Chief PNP, General Archie Gamboa," he added.

Perez is now under the custody of PNP-IMEG for filing of appropriate charges.

In a separate statement, the NCRPO said all personnel of its drug enforcement unit will be relieved and reassigned to other units. They will also undergo drug tests following Perez's arrest.

The NCRPO said it was found out that Perez was allegedly involved in illegal drugs, specifically, pilferage of evidence as well as  “hulidap."

Investigation is ongoing to determine the depth of Perez's alleged link to narcotics as well as his possible cohorts.  --KBK, GMA News